Convalescent Plasma against COVID-19: A Broad-Spectrum Therapeutic Approach for Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Marijn ThijssenTimothy DevosHanieh-Sadat EjtahedSamad Amini-Bavil-OlyaeeAli Akbar PourfathollahMahmoud Reza PourkarimPublished in: Microorganisms (2020)
In the lack of an effective vaccine and antiviral treatment, convalescent plasma (CP) has been a promising therapeutic approach in past pandemics. Accumulating evidence in the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic corroborates the safety of CP therapy and preliminary data underline the potential efficacy. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permitted CP therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients under the emergency use authorization, albeit additional clinical studies are still needed. The imminent threat of a second or even multiple waves of COVID-19 has compelled health authorities to delineate and calibrate a feasible preparedness algorithm for deploying CP as an immediate therapeutic intervention. The success of preparedness programs depends on the interdisciplinary actions of multiple actors in politics, science, and healthcare. In this review, we evaluate the current status of CP therapy for COVID-19 patients and address the challenges that confront the implementation of CP. Finally, we propose a pandemic preparedness framework for future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and unknown pathogen outbreaks.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- public health
- coronavirus disease
- infectious diseases
- healthcare
- current status
- drug administration
- human health
- primary care
- emergency department
- stem cells
- mental health
- electronic health record
- quality improvement
- deep learning
- combination therapy
- big data
- artificial intelligence