Convalescent Plasma Lowers Mortality by 10 Percent in COVID-19 Patients on Ventilators: Study

This effect was found to be more pronounced among those who were treated during the first 48 hours after being put on ventilators.

A laboratory technician prepares to process a bag of blood plasma as part of a research project on plasma from recovered patients for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, on Oct. 5, 2020. Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images

Convalescent plasma, a treatment for COVID-19 that has largely faded into the background since the introduction of vaccines, was able to reduce mortality by 10 percent in mechanically ventilated COVID patients suffering from severe respiratory distress syndrome, a new study suggests.

This effect was found to be more pronounced among those who got the antibody-rich plasma during the first 48 hours after being put on mechanical ventilators, according to the paper published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine.