geoffrey modest medical blogs

  A randomized controlled trial in India found that convalescent plasma did not help adults with moderate Covid-19 infections, the PLACID Trial (see   covid convales plasma not help bmj2020   in dropbox, or   dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3939)    Details: --464 adults admitted to one of 39 public and private hospitals across India from April till July, all with PCR=confirmed moderate Covid-19 infection (PaO 2 /FiO 2  of 200-300 mmHg or respiratory rate of > 24 per minute with oxygen saturation 93% or less on room air) -- all received the standard of care, though 235 of them also received convalescent plasma      -- those receiving convalescent plasma received 200 mL transfused 24 hours apart, for total of 2 doses      -- the presence and levels of neutralizing antibodies were not measured beforehand, but were at the end of the study -- 94% of the donors were men, mean age 34, median disease duration was 6 days, and...

blog done 4/9/20 Another study came out suggesting the benefit of convalescent plasma therapy for those with severe COVID-19 ( see  covid convales plasma helps PNAS2020  in dropbox, or  doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2004168117 ). This one has twice the number of patients as in the last blog on this therapy, having 10 patients from Wuhan China vs 5 from another area of China, though was still not an RCT   Details: -- 10 severely infected Covid-19 patients in China were enrolled into a trial of convalescent plasma (CP) transfusion -- patients all had severe clinical Covid infection, almost all had fever, cough, shortness of breath, and 5 had sputum production       -- median age 53, none exposed to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, median time from onset of symptoms to hospital admission was 6 days      -- 4 patients had underlying chronic conditions (cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular diseases, and hypertension)    ...

Another study came out suggesting the benefit of convalescent plasma therapy for those with severe COVID-19 ( see  covid convales plasma helps PNAS2020  in dropbox, or  doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2004168117 ). This one has twice the number of patients as in the last blog on this therapy, having 10 patients from Wuhan China vs 5 from another area of China, though was still not an RCT Details: -- 10 severely infected Covid-19 patients in China were enrolled into a trial of convalescent plasma (CP) transfusion -- patients all had severe clinical Covid infection, almost all had fever, cough, shortness of breath, and 5 had sputum production       -- median age 53, none exposed to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, median time from onset of symptoms to hospital admission was 6 days      -- 4 patients had underlying chronic conditions (cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular diseases, and hypertension)      --...