- COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP): Plasma collected from patients recovering from COVID-19 (convalescent plasma) has been used to treat COVID-19 patients. Researchers have found that patients who receive CCP within three days of developing COVID-19 symptoms were less likely to develop severe illness.
In August 2020, the FDA issued an EUA for CCP for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The current EUA states CCP must contain high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and may be used to treat outpatients or inpatients with COVID-19 who have immunosuppressive disease or who are receiving immunosuppressive treatment. The FDA has published testing criteria to identify high-titer CCP products. NIH guidelines recommend against the use of CCP for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients who are immunocompetent and, due to insufficient supporting evidence, do not recommend either for or against the use of CCP in the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized or non-hospitalized patients who are immunocompromised.5
Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine and/or Azithromycin: Both hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are antimalarial drugs that have been available for many years. In addition to treating malaria, they are also used to treat autoimmune diseases, such as lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Both drugs are not currently FDA-approved for use in COVID-19 patients. Often, azithromycin, an antibiotic, was used in combination with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine.
In March 2020, the FDA granted EUA for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat COVID-19. The EUA was later revoked in June 2020 after clinical trials showed hydroxychloroquine led to heart problems in some people and ultimately did not effectively treat or prevent COVID-19. Moreover, the NIH guidelines recommend against the use of either of these drugs for the treatment of hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
