The convalescent sera option for containing COVID-19

Arturo Casadevall, Liise-Anne Pirofski, Arturo Casadevall, Liise-Anne Pirofski

No abstract available

Keywords: COVID-19.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.

Figures

Figure 1. Schematic of the use of convalescent sera for COVID-19.

An individual who is sick with COVID-19 and recovers has blood drawn and screened for virus-neutralizing antibodies. Following identification of those with high titers of neutralizing antibody, serum containing these virus-neutralizing antibodies can be administered in a prophylactic manner to prevent infection in high-risk cases, such as vulnerable individuals with underlying medical conditions, health care providers, and individuals with exposure to confirmed cases of COVID-19. Additionally, convalescent serum could potentially be used in individuals with clinical disease to reduce symptoms and mortality. The efficacy of these approaches is not known, but historical experience suggests that convalescent sera may be more effective in preventing disease than in the treatment of established disease.