Clearance of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus in an Immunocompromised Patient Mediated by Convalescent Plasma without B-Cell Recovery

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This case report presents a patient who had difficulty eradicating the corona virus due to being treated with Rituximab, which depletes B lymphocyte cells and therefore disables the production of neutralizing antibodies. The combined use of external anti-viral agents like convalescent plasma, IVIG and Remdesivir successfully helped the patient’s immune system to eradicate the virus without B-cell population recovery. In vitro studies showed that convalescent plasma is the main agent that helped in eradicating the virus.

Keywords

• immunocompromised
• SARS-COV-2
• pneumonia
• T lymphocytes