The proposed Convalescent plasma treatment can cure Covid-19 patients within just three to seven days. Using plasma from one donor, two-five patients can be cured. Now, the medicos are awaiting relaxation in donor guidelines, Debasish Gupta, professor and head, Transfusion Medicine, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, tells Chief of Bureau Anil S. On Wednesday, the ICMR issued its nod for the therapy.
Excerpts: Q: What is plasma therapy?
A: Whenever a person is infected with a virus or bacteria, the body’s immune system develops antibodies. These antibodies either give lifelong immunity or short-term immunity against that particular microorganism. Those who contract corona and then recover develop its antibody over a period of time.
These antibodies are the ones used for passive immunisation. So when a patient recovers, he/she will have the antibody. There’s also no virus present in the patient’s blood at the time. This patient can now act like a plasma donor, wherein when he donates blood, only the plasma is taken, and the remaining blood is returned to the body. This antibody-rich plasma will then be transfused to infected patients. The antibody present in the transfused plasma will target the virus and the patient is cured. This is called passive immunisation.
Q: How many patients can be treated using plasma from one recovered patient?
A: Using plasma from one donor, we can save two-five patients -- a minimum of two and maximum five, depending on the volume we draw. Around 200-250 ml is needed to cure one patient. Recovery is speedy in such cases.
Q: What’s the current status of approval?
A: We are now awaiting the same. The health department can take a collective decision on granting necessary relaxation in this particular context only, to enable all blood banks in Kerala to do the same. The health department has set up a committee in which Anup from Kozhikode and myself are members.
Q: Have we zeroed in on any donor patient?
A: There is first and foremost issue pending clearance. Another significant factor is that the first case during the second phase had been reported on March 8. The cured person should have completed 28 days, the minimum time gap required before plasma can be collected.