An Old Therapy, Convalescent Plasma, for Coronavirus Disease-19: Do We Have All the Answer?

Ahmad Faried; Wahyu Widowati; Ruswana Anwar; Nucki Nursjamsi Hidajat; Ali Budi Harsono; Yulius Hermanto; Alya Mardhotillah Azizah; Jenifer Kiem  Aviani

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2020.5462

Authors

Ahmad Faried Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia; Stem Cell Unit, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia; Convalescent Plasma Therapy for COVID-19 Team, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Wahyu Widowati Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Maranatha Christian University, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Ruswana Anwar Convalescent Plasma Therapy for COVID-19 Team, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Nucki Nursjamsi Hidajat Stem Cell Unit, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Ali Budi Harsono Stem Cell Unit, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Yulius Hermanto Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia; Stem Cell Unit, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Alya Mardhotillah Azizah Biomolecular and Biomedical Research Center, Aretha Medika Utama, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Jenifer Kiem Aviani Biomolecular and Biomedical Research Center, Aretha Medika Utama, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.5462

Keywords:

Coronavirus disease-19, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2, Passive immunization, Convalescent plasma therapy

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus (CoV) disease (COVID-19) has become a global health pandemic by early 2020; it has pushed the health-care system to its limit. From the initial estimates, 15% of COVID-19 patients caused by severe acute respiratory CoV 2 syndrome present with severe symptoms and requires hospitalization or even intensive care. There is no specific treatment against COVID-19, particularly for those with severe symptoms. Desperation caused by COVID-19 has driven clinicians to try an alternative therapies with little or even no-evidence previously. Convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) has emerged as a promising COVID-19 therapy.

AIM: We aimed to review current state of convalescent plasma therapy.

METHODS: We summarize the historical CPT, COVID-19 pathology and evaluate potential of CPT for COVID-19; raising the question regarding routinely administrating CPT to the COVID-19 patients, whether it is safe and effective.

RESULTS: From cases in Indonesia and other countries, there is bunch of examples that healthcare workers being negatively stigmatized in case of COVID-19. They lost their rights to have a normal life in this pandemic era. A reasonable basis is found in many literatures to advocate the CPT. Convalescent plasma from COVID-19 patients who had been recovered with high neutralizing antibody titers was reported to be effective on transfusion to other COVID-19 patients.

CONCLUSION: CPT is one good option to treat COVID-19 patients, but it not without risk; many potential candidate treatment that promising in theory but somehow fall apart when translated into clinical study; only time will tell, including our ongoing CPT clinical study.

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