Shen C, Wang Z, Zhao F, et al. - Researchers examined if critically ill patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection could be treated with convalescent plasma transfusion. In this uncontrolled case series of five critically ill patients with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), treatment with convalescent plasma transfusion at the infectious disease department at the Shenzhen Third People's Hospital in Shenzhen, China, was given from January 20, 2020 to March 25, 2020. The final date of follow-up was March 25, 2020. At the time of treatment, all five patients (age range, 36-65 years; 2 women) were receiving mechanical ventilation and had received antiviral agents and methylprednisolone. An improvement in clinical status was observed following administration of convalescent plasma containing neutralizing antibody, demonstrating a possible value of convalescent plasma transfusion in the treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19 and ARDS. However, randomized clinical trials evaluating this approach are recommended.

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