WHO 'strongly' advises against administering convalescent plasma to treat COVID patients

As the highly mutated variant of concern B.1.1.529 Omicron spreads worldwide, the World Health Organisation on Monday, December 6 advised against using the blood plasma on the COVID-19 patients, stressing that there is no evidence that the medical process improves survival rate or reduces the need for the mechanical ventilation. In a statement on Monday, the global health body stressed that the convalescent blood plasma, widely used in some of the hospitals to treat COVID-19, is both costly and time-consuming and has no benefit on the COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms. 

According to WHO, a panel of international experts has strongly advised against the use of convalescent plasma in critically ill patients of coronavirus. The Convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19 was rigorously used in the earliest days of the pandemic’s wave due to its nearly 100-year history of use in the treatment of other infectious diseases. It involves giving COVID-19 patients a transfusion of blood plasma from someone who has recovered from the novel coronavirus and has developed antibodies. The US Food and Drug Administration [FDA] had scaled back on the therapy’s emergency use authorization earlier this year in February. It is assumed that the donor’s antibodies will help fight the severe COVID-19 infection.

Hypothesis that antibodies in blood plasma fight COVID-19 debunked 

A study in the BMJ earlier found no benefits associated with convalescent plasma in COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital with moderate symptoms. Investigators conducted a PLACID Trial and found that despite the blood plasma, there was a progression to severe disease among the COVID-19 patients, in some cases mortality after 28 days. There were, though, small beneficial effects in the resolution of shortness of breath and muscle fatigue. 

WHO debunked the hypothesis that the antibodies received in the blood plasma could neutralise the novel coronavirus and curb lung tissue damage. Instead, the organisation clarified that there are no noticeable benefits for the COVID-19 patients. WHO advises that in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 people must keep a physical distance of at least 1 meter from others; wear a well-fitting mask; open windows to improve ventilation; avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces, and get vaccinated to mitigate the severe impact of the disease.