Convalescent plasma therapy has shown a limited effect in reducing the progression to severe disease or death in a trial conducted in India, scientists say according to a PTI report.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) involved 464 adults with moderate COVID-19 who were admitted to hospitals in India between April and July. As many as 239 adult patients received two transfusions of convalescent plasma, 24 hours apart, alongside standard care, while the control group comprising of 229 patients received standard care only, it said

One month later, 44 patients or 19 per cent of those who received the plasma had progressed to severe disease or had died of any cause, compared with 41 patients or 18 per cent in the control group.

Plasma therapy did, however, seem to reduce symptoms, such as shortness of breath and fatigue, after seven days, according to the researchers, including those from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the National Institute of Epidemiology, Tamil Nadu.

Participants in the intervention arm received two doses of 200 millilitre (mL) of convalescent plasma, transfused 24 hours apart.

The new study shows that in settings with limited laboratory capacity, convalescent plasma does not reduce 28 day mortality or progression to severe disease in patients admitted to hospital with moderate COVID-19, the report added.