MUMBAI: The plasma of four people who recovered from COVID-19 have tested positive for antibodies and will be used to treat other patients, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Monday.
The corporation has also urged other survivors to come forward to donate plasma.
"As the plasma of four COVID-19 survivors will now be used to treat other patients infected with the virus, we appeal to those who have recovered to come forward and do plasma donation," said BMC.
Earlier, during a press conference, Dr SK Sarin, Director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Delhi, had said, "Bodies of people who recover from coronavirus produce an anti-body/plasma in the blood to help the person fight against coronavirus. If a little bit of this anti-body/plasma is given to a critical patient then the plasma helps in the latter person's recovery."
However, Randeep Guleria, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences had said that not all recovered COVID-19 patients have sufficient amount of antibodies in their blood, which is required for the plasma therapy to treat a virus-infected person.
Meanwhile, according to the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of coronavirus in Maharashtra is 8,068, of which 1,076 have recovered/discharged and 342 deaths have been reported.