JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE Peng et al Review Convalescent Plasma for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Analysis Henry T Peng1, PhD; Shawn G Rhind1, PhD; Andrew Beckett2,3, MD 1Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto Research Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada 2St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada 3Royal Canadian Medical Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada Corresponding Author: Henry T Peng, PhD Defence Research and Development Canada Toronto Research Centre 1133 Sheppard Avenue West Toronto, ON, M3K 2C9 Canada Phone: 1 416 635 2129 Email:
[email protected] Related Article: This is a corrected version. See correction statement in: https://publichealth.jmir.org/2021/6/e31554/ Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by a novel coronavirus termed SARS-CoV-2, has spread quickly worldwide. Convalescent plasma (CP) obtained from patients following recovery from COVID-19 infection and development of antibodies against the virus is an attractive option for either prophylactic or therapeutic treatment, since antibodies may have direct or indirect antiviral activities and immunotherapy has proven effective in principle and in many clinical reports. Objective: We seek to characterize the latest advances and evidence in the use of CP for COVID-19 through a systematic review and quantitative analysis, identify knowledge gaps in this setting, and offer recommendations and directives for future research. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were continuously searched for studies assessing the use of CP for COVID-19, including clinical studies, commentaries, reviews, guidelines or protocols, and in vitro testing of CP antibodies. The screening process and data extraction were performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.