plasmapheresis with convalescent plasma as a rescue therapy for covid-19 patients: a case series

On december 29, 2019, an epidemic of an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (sars-cov-2) was declared in wuhan, china. the first case of covid-19 in iran (qom province) was reported in february 2020, and within a short period, thenumberof infected cases increased rapidly around the country. evidence suggests that the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are high in critically ill patients, andthere is a correlation between the high level of cytokinesandthe pathogenesis of covid- 19; consequently, covid-19 may have complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ards) and even death. these inflammatory factors can lead to a cytokine storm, while counteracting this storm seems to be an effective therapeutic approach. in this case series, we reported two critically ill patients with covid-19, undergoing plasmapheresis with convalescent plasma, corticosteroid therapy, and interferon administration.