WHO advises against use of convalescent plasma for Covid-19 treatment

A WHO Guideline Development Group of international experts in The BMJ wrote that despite its initial promise, current evidence shows that it does not improve survival nor reduce the need for mechanical ventilation, and it is costly and time-consuming to administer.The WHO made a strong recommendation against the use of convalescent plasma in patients with non-severe illness, and in patients with severe and critical illness, except in the context of a randomised controlled trial (RCT).The recommendations are based on evidence from 16 trials involving 16,236 patients with non-severe, severe, and critical Covid infection.And although convalescent plasma should not be used routinely in any patients, regardless of how severely ill they are, the panel acknowledged that there was sufficient uncertainty in patients with severe and critical illness to warrant continuation of RCTs.



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