Convalescent Plasma Therapy for Coronavirus in Critically ill Patients

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has spurred a global health crisis To date, there are no proven options for prophylaxis for those who have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, nor therapy for those who develop COVID-19 Immune (i e "convalescent") plasma refers to plasma that is collected from individuals, following resolution of infection and development of antibodies Passive antibody administration through transfusion of convalescent plasma may offer the only short-term strategy to confer immediate immunity to susceptible individuals Convalescent plasma has also been used in the COVID-19 pandemic;limited data from China suggest clinical benefit, including radiological resolution, reduction in viral loads and improved survival Globally, blood centers have robust infrastructure to undertake collections and construct inventories of convalescent plasma to meet the growing demand Nonetheless, there are nuanced challenges, both regulatory and logistical, spanning donor eligibility, donor recruitment, collections and transfusion itself