EFFECTIVENESS OF CONVALESCENT PLASMA THERAPY IN SEVERE COVID-19 PATIENTS

*Anis Shah Akram Shah, Saurabh S. Joshi, Akash G. Ambhore, Pratik R. Lokhande, Shivdarshan A. Nikas Prof. Pavan Folane and Dr. K. R. Biyani

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus possesses a distinctive morphology the being derived from the outer fringe or corona of embedded envolope protein. Members of coronaviridae family cause a broad spectrum of the animal and the human disease uniquely replication of RNA genome proceed through the generation of a nested set of viral mRNA molecule untill 2003 coronaviruses attracted little interest beyond causing mild upper respiratory tract infection. This changed occur dramatically in 2003 with the zoonotic SARS COV amd the more recent emergence of MERS-CoV has confirmed the Coronaviruses as significant cause of sereve respiratory disease. Currently there are no approved specific antiviral agent for novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). IN this sy 10 severe patients confirmed by real time viral RNA test were enrolled prospectively. One dose of 200ml of convelescent plasma(CP). Derived from the recently covered donors with the neutralizing antibody titles above 2:640 was transfused to the patients as an addition to the maximal supportive care and antiviral agents. The primary endpoint was the safety of CP transfusion. The second endpoint where the improvement of clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters within 3D after CP transfusion. The median time from one set of illness to CP transfusion was 16.5d. after CP transfusion the lavel of neutralizing antibody increased rapidly upto 1:640 in five cases while that of the other four cases maintained at a high level (1:640). The clinical symptoms were significantly improved along with increase of oxyhaemoglobin saturation within three d.sereral parameters tended to improve as compared to pretransfusion including increased Lymphocytes counts. Examination by rediological view showed varying degrees of absorption of lung lesion within 7d. The viral load was undetectable after transfusion in seven patients who had previous viremia. No severe adverse effects were observed. This study showed CP therapy was well tolerated and would potentially improved the clinical outcomes through neutralizing viremia in severe COVID-19 cases. The optimal dose and time point as well as the clinical banefits CO therapy needs further investigation in larger well-controlled trials.

Keywords: MERS-CoV, pretransfusion, SARS COV.