Convalescent Plasma News and Research

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Early high-titer convalescent plasma prevents 75% of severe COVID-19 in elderly

A promising new clinical study published on the preprint server medRxiv reports that if convalescent plasma with a high titer of antibodies is given early in the course of COVID-19 in elderly patients, the risk of severe illness is reduced by 73%.

24 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike deletion mutations may evade current vaccine candidates, study finds

A thought-provoking new study reports that the anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike antibodies elicited by natural infection may not be able to neutralize emerging strains that display deletion mutations in their genomic RNA.

23 Nov 2020

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin produced from convalescent plasma pool has 3-fold antibody neutralizing activity

In a recent study published in the preprint server bioRxiv, researchers from the Grifols Bioscience Research Group reported on the collection of convalescent plasma and production of anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin for use in clinical research.

22 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 immunity can last over six months, study finds

US-based scientists have released a study on preprint server bioRxiv*, titled “Immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 assessed for greater than six months after infection,” contributing to the enormous research effort currently underway in this area.

19 Nov 2020

"Escape mutations" could help SARS-CoV-2 evade immune attack

Researchers in the United States have identified mutations within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – that can reduce antibody binding to the virus, potentially mediating its escape from immune attack.

18 Nov 2020

Convalescent plasma in COVID-19 can be effective, especially early in disease

A team of researchers in the United States have conducted an extensive literature review looking at the usage of convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat those with an impaired immune system. Their study, titled “Therapeutic use of convalescent plasma in COVID-19 patients with immunodeficiency: A systematic review,” has been released on medRxiv*, the preprint server.

12 Nov 2020

COVID-19 treatments for people with early infection should be prioritized

COVID-19 treatments for people with early infection are needed urgently, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and colleagues.

11 Nov 2020

Research tracks humoral immunity response over eight months post COVID-19 infection

Researchers from Chongqing Medical University have tried to answer one of the burning questions regarding the longevity of immune response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): How long does immunity last after infection? Their study looked at the lasting effects and continued immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) over eight months after recovery from the infection.

11 Nov 2020

Critically ill COVID-19 patients experience novel platelet-activating immune complexes, study finds

Canadian researchers from McMaster University, Ontario, have pinpointed platelet activating immune complexes in coagulation disorders associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the condition caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

10 Nov 2020

Identifying SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mutations resistant to antibodies

Using a set of different monoclonal antibodies, researchers determined different mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that leads to resistance. Understanding these resistant mutations is important in developing effective therapeutic strategies.

10 Nov 2020

Aspirin to be tested as a potential COVID-19 treatment as part of RECOVERY trial

Now, in new research, the everyday painkiller aspirin will be evaluated as a potential treatment for COVID-19 in one of the United Kingdom’s most significant trials, aiming to evaluate whether it can reduce the risk of blood clots in infected people.

9 Nov 2020

ACE2 and TMPRSS2 not the only virus-receptors to mediate SARS-CoV-2 entry

However, a recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 uncovers the major role played by the N-terminal domain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in host infection. This could be of great use in measuring the usefulness of antibodies used in convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19.

9 Nov 2020

Study suggests honey and Nigella sativa expedites viral clearance in COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers from various institutes across Pakistan, Chile, Canada, and the USA recently conducted a clinical trial to investigate the potential effectiveness of a combination of honey and Nigella sativa (HNS) in treating COVID-19 patients. Their study is published on the preprint server medRxiv prior to the scientific peer review process.

8 Nov 2020

Case study reports prolonged infectious SARS-CoV-2 shedding from an asymptomatic leukemia patient

The majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 appear to actively shed infectious virus for about 8 days, but there is a wide range of variability from person to person.

4 Nov 2020

Evidence of robust and persistent antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

A team of researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, have worked in collaboration to try and answer one of the most baffling questions surrounding the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic: do antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) last after a primary infection?

3 Nov 2020

Study identifies new cause of COVID-19 blood clots

Blood clots continue to wreak havoc for patients with severe COVID-19 infection, and a new study explains what may spark them in up to half of patients.

2 Nov 2020

Majority of people infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount robust antibody response

The vast majority of individuals infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount a robust antibody response that is relatively stable for at least five months, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published October 28, in the journal Science.

29 Oct 2020

Researchers demonstrate potent antibody that fights against coronavirus

Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have shown that a potent antibody from a COVID-19 survivor interferes with a key feature on the surface of the coronavirus's distinctive spikes and induces critical pieces of those spikes to break off in the process.

28 Oct 2020

New method can detect high levels of COVID-19 antibodies

A more efficient and much faster method to assess high levels of neutralizing antibodies to COVID-19 could point the way to better understanding and treatment of the disease, according to new published findings by scientists from the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) and the University of Michigan (U-M).

23 Oct 2020

Seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 among asymptomatic blood donors in New York

New York was the hardest-hit U.S. state during the peak of the outbreak in the country. Now, a team of researchers from the New York Blood Center and Serimmune, an immune intelligence company, aimed to determine the prevalence of seropositive people for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, among healthy blood donors.