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Review
. 2020 Dec 18;1(1):66-77.
doi: 10.1016/j.medj.2020.11.002.

The Assessment of Convalescent Plasma Efficacy against COVID-19

Arturo Casadevall  1 , Brenda J Grossman  2 , Jeffrey P Henderson  3 , Michael J Joyner  4 , Shmuel Shoham  5 , Liise-Anne Pirofski  6 , Nigel Paneth  7
Affiliations
Review

The Assessment of Convalescent Plasma Efficacy against COVID-19

Arturo Casadevall et al. Med. .

Abstract

Antibody-based therapy for infectious diseases predates modern antibiotics and, in the absence of other therapeutic options, was deployed early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic through COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) administration. Although most studies have demonstrated signals of efficacy for CCP, definitive assessment has proved difficult under pandemic conditions, with rapid changes in disease incidence and the knowledge base complicating the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials. Nevertheless, evidence from a variety of studies demonstrates that CCP is as safe as ordinary plasma and strongly suggests that it can reduce mortality if given early and with sufficient antibody content.

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Conflict of interest statement

B.J.G. is a member of the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee. Any views or opinions expressed in this manuscript are the author’s, based on her own scientific expertise and professional judgment; they do not necessarily represent either the views of the Blood Products Advisory Committee or the formal position of FDA, and they also do not bind or otherwise obligate or commit either the Blood Products Advisory Committee or the FDA to the views expressed.

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