January 7, 2021

expert reaction to study looking at convalescent plasma in older patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) looks at convalescent plasma therapy to prevent severe COVID-19 in older adults.

Dr Lise Estcourt, Head of NHSBT’s Clinical Trials Unit, said:

“This trial of convalescent plasma in older patients with mild COVID-19 is very encouraging.  It suggests that early treatment with convalescent plasma reduces the risk of progression to severe COVID-19.  I hope that the findings from this small trial are confirmed in larger ongoing trials of convalescent plasma.  These larger trials will also be able to say whether or not convalescent plasma can reduce mortality.”

‘Early high-titer plasma therapy to prevent severe Covid-19 in older adults’ by R. Libster et al. was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday 6 January 2021.

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2033700

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2033700

Declared interests

Dr Lise Estcourt: “NHSBT is collecting convalescent plasma for the plasma arms of the REMAP-CAP and RECOVERY trials.”