Introduction:

Convalescent plasma is a form of passive immunotherapy which has been used for the treatment and prevention of many infectious diseases for more than one century. Given the absence of a specific treatment for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, convalescent plasma is a potential therapeutic alternative against COVID-19.

Objective:

Carry out a review about the use of convalescent plasma as a therapeutic alternative against COVID-19.

Discussion:

A search was conducted about the topic in the databases Pubmed, SciELO, Lilacs, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Convalescent plasma has been shown to be effective in the treatment of several viral diseases. However, evidence of its use in COVID-19 patients is scant. Promising results have been obtained, though, but they are not conclusive due to the need of a larger number of clinical trials. In Cuba this treatment is included among the clinical management protocols for COVID-19.

Conclusions:

This alternative is an immunotherapeutic tool for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, since it improves their clinical status and reduces lethality rates. However, more controlled and randomized clinical trials are required confirming its effectiveness and safety.

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