In a recently published study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that antibody-rich convalescent plasma from COVID-recovered patients when administered to COVID-19 hospitalized mildly-ill adult patients. The study was led by Dr. R. Scott Wright, coordinator of Mayo’s national COVID-19 plasma therapy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Early administration of high-titer convalescent plasma against SARS-CoV-2 to mildly ill infected older adults reduced the progression of Covid-19.

The New England Journal of Medicine

Dr Wrigt told Star Tribune that ‘the discovery validates one of COVID-19’s only known treatments, which will be relied on until an increase in vaccinations snuffs out the global pandemic’.

“I think it behooves the medical community to continue to innovate and test therapies for treatment. Realistically, we’re months away from having a substantial number of people vaccinated.”

“Mayo early in the pandemic launched a nationwide expanded access program, linking hospitalized COVID-19 patients across the country with donor plasma, under the premise that plasma contained virus-fighting antibodies that would treat infections” writes Jeremy Olson in the Star Tribune.

• Mayo validates COVID-19 plasma treatment as public seeks vaccine
• Early High-Titer Plasma Therapy to Prevent Severe Covid-19 in Older Adults
• Antibody-rich convalescent plasma may lower risk of COVID death
• Trial of COVID-19 blood plasma finds no benefit in severely ill patients

No Benefit in Severely ill Patients

When the convalescent plasma was given to severely-ill hospitalized (and under mechanical ventilation) COVID-19 patients and the treatment had no benefit, the study showed.

Patients who were on ventilator did not see a benefit. It was too late.

Dr. R. Scott Wright, at the Mayo Clinic (source: Star Tribune)

“Outcomes were better for hospitalized patients who received plasma within three days of diagnosis and didn’t need to be placed on ventilators due to lung damage” Olson reports in the Tribune.