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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 ...
