Recovered plasma has little benefit as a treatment for coronavirus – Lebanon

Results of a clinical trial in India showed that the use of blood plasma from people recovering from the coronavirus, which is known as convalescent plasma, has little benefit in treating Covid-19 patients.

The results, published in the British Medical Journal, indicated that convalescent plasma that carries antibodies from Covid-19 retrievers to patients has failed to reduce death rates or prevent access to severe symptoms of the disease.

Other countries, including Britain, are collecting donor plasma so it can be used on a large scale if it is proven effective.

Indian researchers conducted the study on 464 moderately ill adults who were hospitalized across India between April and July.

The researchers randomly divided them into two groups: the first group received convalescent plasma twice in a 24-hour interval along with the best possible care, while the other group received only the best care.

After seven days, the researchers said, the use of convalescent plasma appeared to improve some symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue and lead to higher rates of what is known as a “passive mutation,” a sign that Antibodies neutralize the virus.

However, this did not translate into a reduction in mortality or prevent the disease from reaching a severe stage.

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