HISTORY OF PLASMA THERAPY: A CURRENTLY USED TREATMENT OPTION FOR COVID-19

Abstract

The current pandemic provides the most incredible opportunity to develop convalescent plasma therapy into an effective treatment modality for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) while a vaccine is still under development. The global reach of this pandemic, and the immediate need for effective treatments for patients with severe and critical COVID-19, is driving both basic and clinical research at an unprecedented rate. Convalescent plasma therapy is a treatment option that has been known since the 1900s and has been used in various disease treatments since then. Convalescent plasma therapy is one of the treatments currently being used in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. We see that this treatment method was likewise used in the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Ebola epidemics, which occurred worldwide in the recent past. This review aims to provide an overview of plasma therapy's history and the scientists behind this vital discovery. Secondarily, we report the recent global advances in convalescent plasma use in COVID-19 treatment.