Treatment with convalescent plasma in solid organ transplant recipients with COVID-19: Experience at large transplant center in New York City.

Rahman, Farah; Liu, Sean T H; Taimur, Sarah; Jacobs, Samantha; Sullivan, Timothy; Dunn, Dallas; Baneman, Emily; Fuller, Risa; Aberg, Judith A; Bouvier, Nicole; Rana, Meenakshi M

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients may be at higher risk for poor outcomes with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection. Convalescent plasma is an investigational therapy that may benefit immunosuppressed patients by providing passive immunity. Convalescent plasma was administered to hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at an academic transplant center in New York City. Eligible patients were hospitalized and required to have positive nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, be at least 18 years-old, and have either dyspnea, blood oxygen saturation ≤93% on ambient air, respiratory frequency ≥30 breaths/minute, partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio < 300, or lung infiltrates >50%. Thirteen SOT recipients received convalescent plasma from April 9 to May 17, 2020. The median time from symptom onset to plasma infusion was 8 days. Eight of 13 patients (62%) had de-escalating oxygenation support by day 7 post-convalescent plasma. Nine (69%) patients were discharged, 1 (7%) patients remain hospitalized and 3 (23%) patients died. This series supports the need for additional studies on convalescent plasma use in SOT recipients with COVID-19 to better determine efficacy and identify patients who are likely to benefit.