Understanding which patients with COVID-19 benefit the most from COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) may help determine how convalescent plasma may be used during future pandemics. As reported in JAMA Network Open, researchers identified patient profiles to determine who will benefit most from CCP. Using data compiled from 2369 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 not receiving mechanical ventilation enrolled in eight randomized trials evaluating CCP, researchers used a proportional odds model to develop a treatment benefit index based on the 14-day WHO scores. Patients (mean age, 60.3 years; 36% female) were enrolled from April 2020 to March 2021. The treatment benefit indexes were validated on four external data sets to confirm three operational groups of expected benefits, though the index is based on a continuous scale. Hospitalized patients with preexisting conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular and pulmonary disease), blood type A or AB, and at an early stage of COVID-19 are expected to benefit most from CCP. Patients without preexisting conditions and advanced stages of disease could potentially be harmed from CCP treatment. As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic evolves, the optimal treatment benefit index might require adjustment. However, a simple combination of personalized, baseline characteristics to predict which patients might reap the most benefit from CCP will also help to conserve resources and other antiviral drugs in the fight against COVID-19.
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