Indian Study Shows No Survival Benefit of Plasma in COVID-19

A randomized controlled trial on the use of convalescent plasma therapy to treat coronavirus infections—the first in the world to be completed—yields disappointing results, but some doctors are not discouraged.

alakananda dasgupta
| 5 min read
convalescent plasma covid-19 coronavirus pandemic antibodies sars-cov-2 fda emergency use authorization india randomized controlled trial

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In the absence of a vaccine or an effective antidote to SARS-CoV-2, the use of convalescent plasma therapy is in vogue globally. It involves the infusion of plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and thus carry protective antibodies into patients who are currently infected with the coronavirus. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for its use, although the absence of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the gold standard of scientific research, has led to skepticism about its effectiveness among experts.

In light of this, the PLACID (PLAsma Convalescent InDia) trial helps fill this gap. Recently conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex medical research body in India, it is the first RCT for plasma in COVID-19 patients to be completed in the world. The study included 464 hospitalized, moderately ill COVID-19 patients—they were on ...

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  • alakananda dasgupta

    Alakananda Dasgupta

    Alakananda Dasgupta is a freelance science journalist based in New Delhi, India, who contributes to The Scientist. She is a medical doctor and a pathologist by training. In 2018, she combined her interests in science and writing and became a science writer. She has done research previously in the field of immunology and is currently writing a book on the subject.

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