VIJAYAWADA: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has granted permission to Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati, to treat Covid-19 patients using plasma collected from survivors.
The permission letter was received on Monday night. “Thirteen days ago, we got permissions to collect samples from eligible Covid survivors, who are willing to donate plasma.
"But the permission letter to begin plasma therapy was received only last night (Monday),” said an official. The team has collected plasma from eight Covid survivors so far.
Two persons, who were willing to donate plasma, were rejected.
“The most appropriate time to collect plasma from a person is 28th day from his/her discharge date. We can also collect plasma between the 24th and 28th day from his/her discharge date,” said the official.
However, he said that none of the 58 patients, who were currently being treated at SVIMS, was eligible to undergo plasma therapy as almost all of them have comorbidities. Dr KV Sridhar, Head of the Blood Bank department and authorised person to conduct the clinical tests, explained, “A symptomatic Covid patient after recovery can donate plasma.
"More precisely, a person admitted with severe coronavirus conditions and fully recovered is eligible to donate plasma.”
Meanwhile, the ICMR has positioned SVIMS at 55th among the 60 hospitals in the country which have been permitted to conduct plasma therapy.
Plasma therapy
Plasma is a component of blood. The blood of people who have recovered from an infection contains antibodies.
Antibodies are molecules that have learned to recognise and fight the pathogens, such as viruses, that have caused the disease.
Doctors can separate plasma that contain such antibodies, and administer it to people whose bodies are currently fighting an infectious disease. This can help their immune system reject the pathogens more efficiently
Who can donate plasma?
Donors should be between 18 and 55 years of age and weigh at least 55 kg
They should be in good health
Have a prior, verified diagnosis of COVID-19, but are now symptom-free and fully recovered from COVID-19
Donors not fit to donate blood based on the history and examination will be deferred and excluded from plasma donor pool
Exclusion criteria
Pregnant women
Breast-feeding women
Known hypersensitivity to blood components
Receipt of Pooled Immunoglobulin in last 30 days
Critically-ill patients