Is convalescent plasma still useful as a covid treatment?

What is convalescent plasma?It’s a form of passive immunisation. Blood plasma containing antibodies from one person is given to someone else with the same infection. It’s been used since the late 19th century to treat diphtheria, scarlet fever, and pertussis and, more recently, haemorrhagic fevers such as that caused by the Ebola virus.1Someone who has recovered from or been vaccinated against covid can donate covid convalescent plasma (CCP). This will contain antibodies to the strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus they were infected with, as well as antibodies created in response to any vaccine. Plasma can also be drawn from existing blood donations.Is it an effective treatment for covid-19?Yes—but only if given very early, before severe symptoms appear.The World Health Organization had advised against CCP in 202123 after early randomised control trials showed little efficacy.4 But most of those trials focused on hospital inpatients with severe covid, particularly those requiring intensive care.Arturo…
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