Net no from WHO to plasma of those recovered from Covid. The World Health Organization expresses “a strong recommendation against the use of convalescent plasma in patients with severe disease and a recommendation against its use in patients with severe and critically ill disease, except in the context of a randomized controlled trial”. The indication, published in ‘The BMJ’, comes from the group of international experts in charge of drawing up the guidelines of the Geneva agency.
“Despite the initial promises – they observe – the current evidence shows that convalescent plasma produces no improvement in survival“of Covid patients,” or other important parameters “. In particular,” it does not reduce the need for mechanical ventilation “. this treatment “is expensive and time-consuming to administer”.
The recommendations are based on the results of 16 studies involving 16,236 patients with non-severe, severe and critical Covid-19 infection – explains WHO – and become part of the guidelines that are progressively updated based on the scientific information available, developed by the organization with the methodological support of the Magic Evidence Ecosystem Foundation. Previously, the panel had made recommendations for the use of interleukin-6 receptor blockers and systemic corticosteroids for seriously or critically ill Covid patients; conditional recommendations for the use of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies in selected patients, and against the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in Covid patients regardless of disease severity.
With regard to the plasma of the recovered – specifies the WHO – the strong recommendation that it is not recommended in Covid-19 patients with non-serious disease reflects the opinion of the experts according to which this “pharmacological treatment, in patients with a low risk of mortality and others important clinical outcomes “related to Sars-CoV-2 infection,” is not justified. And although convalescent plasma should not be used routinely in any patient, regardless of how severe it is – it points out – the panel acknowledged that there is there was sufficient uncertainty in patients with severe and critical illness to warrant the continuation of the randomized controlled trials “.
In treating patients with plasma, the experts also identify “several practical challenges, such as the need to identify and test potential donors, as well as to collect, store and administer their plasma”. Elements that “further limit the feasibility and applicability of the therapy”.
After carefully reviewing all of the information, the panel also felt that “nearly all well-informed patients would choose not to receive convalescent plasma.”