The Effect of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Mortality Among Patients With COVID-19: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators determined the effect of COVID-19 convalescent plasma on mortality by aggregating patient outcome data from 10 randomized clinical trials, 20 matched-control studies, two dose response studies, and 96 case-reports or case-series.

Highlights of the article:

  • There remains a lack of consensus on convalescent plasma use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
  • Meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials and matched-control data demonstrated that COVID-19 patients transfused with convalescent plasma exhibited a lower mortality rate compared to patients receiving standard treatments.
  • Additional analyses showed that early transfusion (within three days of hospital admission) of high-titer plasma is associated with lower mortality.
  • This data provides evidence favoring the efficacy of human convalescent plasma as a therapeutic agent in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.