Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh
  • 2 University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
  • 3 Institute of Social Welfare and Research, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
  • 4 Department of Microbiology, Mahidol University, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
  • 5 Department of Microbiology, Prima Asia University, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh
  • 6 School of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
  • 7 Department of Hematology, Asgar Ali Hospital, Dhaka 1204, Bangladesh
  • 8 Department of Surgery, Nelson R Mandela School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Umbilo, Berea 4001, South Africa
  • 9 Department of Microbiology, Chittagong Medical College, Chattogram 4203, Bangladesh
  • 10 Department of Urology, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
  • 11 Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 2020;13:2707-2728.
PMID: 33262668 DOI: 10.2147/RMHP.S281388

Abstract

The world is striving against the severe crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals are struggling to treat their patients based on nonspecific therapies. Amidst this uncertainty, convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) has appeared to be an interim adjuvant therapy for severely ill patients of COVID-19 until long-term clinical trial treatment options are available. Considering the transfusion-related hazards, especially lung injuries and microbial transmission, where sensitivity is not ensured, rigorous trials should be conducted to determine this therapy's efficacy. Moreover, the ratio of recovered cases to plasma donors is not satisfying, which questioning this therapy's availability and accessibility. Although some countries are making the treatment free, the attributable cost mandates a justification for its suitability and sustainability. Our article aimed to review the published facts and findings of CPT's effectiveness in lowering the mortality rate of COVID-19. This pandemic showed that healthcare systems worldwide need core reform. A unified global collaboration must align and coordinate to face the current pandemic and enhance world readiness for future outbreaks based on health equity and equality.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.