Prevention of Severe Covid-19 in Infected Elderly by Early Administration of Convalescent Plasma With High-titers of Antibody Against SARS-CoV2

Trial design. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in a catchment population of 2,020,860 age-appropriate subjects in the state of Buenos Aires and 235,000 in the city of Buenos Aires. Institutions. Hospitals San Juan de Dios, Simplemente Evita, Dr. Carlos Bocalandro, Evita Pueblo, Sanatorio Antartida, Hospital Central de San Isidro, Clinica Olivos in the state of Buenos Aires with 38 regional and town hospitals acting as referral centers, and Hospital Militar Central, Sanatorio de Los Arcos, Hospital Universitario CEMIC, Sanatorio Sagrado Corazon, Sanatorio Finochietto, Sanatorio Anchorena, Centro Gallego, and in the city of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Study population. Subjects >= 75 years of age irrespective of presenting comorbidities or between 65-74 years of age with at least one comorbidity (hypertension, diabetes, obesity, chronic renal failure, and COPD) who experience the following signs and symptoms for less than 48 hours at the time of screening for SARS CoV2 by RT-PCR: (a) a temperature >=37.5°C and/or unexplained sweating and/or chills and (b) at least one of the following: dry cough, dyspnea, fatigue, myalgia, anorexia, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, rhinorrhea. Subjects consenting to screening will be tested by reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 in a nasopharyngeal and an oropharyngeal swab and invited to participate when RNA for the virus is detected. Intervention. Eligible, consenting patients will be randomized using an electronic system to receive 250 ml of convalescent plasma with an IgG titer against SARS-CoV2 spike (S) protein >1:1,000 (COVIDAR IgG, Insituto Leloir, Argentina) or placebo (normal saline 0.9%) administered in a 1:1 ratio. Both treatment and placebo will be concealed using dark bags and tape to cover the infusion line. Treatment will be administered 30 and/or an O2 sat