3/3 Early treatment study
et al., PLOS Medicine, doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003415 (Peer Reviewed)
Early versus deferred anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma in patients admitted for COVID-19: A randomized phase II clinical trial
Early versus deferred anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma in patients admitted for COVID-19: A randomized phase II clinical trial
Small RCT with 28 early and 30 deferred (treated according to prespecified deterioration criteria) convalescent plasma patients, not showing significant differences. "Early" is relative, with a median of 5 days from symptom onset. 13 patients in the deferred group received plasma.
Balcells et al., 3/3/2021, Randomized Controlled Trial, Chile, South America, peer-reviewed, 32 authors.
risk of death, 247.4% higher, RR 3.47, p = 0.11, treatment 5 of 28 (17.9%), control 2 of 30 (6.7%), adjusted per study, odds ratio converted to relative risk, logistic regression, early vs. deferred.
risk of mechanical ventilation, 163.3% higher, RR 2.63, p = 0.16, treatment 5 of 28 (17.9%), control 2 of 30 (6.7%), adjusted per study, odds ratio converted to relative risk, logistic regression, early vs. deferred.
risk of disease progression, 23.3% higher, RR 1.23, p = 0.23, treatment 13 of 28 (46.4%), control 12 of 30 (40.0%), adjusted per study, odds ratio converted to relative risk, logistic regression, early vs. deferred.
Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules
prioritizing more serious outcomes. For an individual study the most serious
outcome may have a smaller number of events and lower statistical signficance,
however this provides the strongest evidence for the most serious outcomes
when combining the results of many trials.
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