The government has allowed hospitals to treat the COVID-19 patients through this procedure after it was found successful in some cases. Bharatpur Hospital’s physician Dr Kalyan Sapkota said the coronavirus-recovered have been urged to donate their blood plasma to help to treat critical patients through plasma therapy with the rise in the number of severely-infected patients.
He said the antibody developed against the virus in blood plasma of corona-recovered people are useful to treat other patients with severe infections. He also noted that this procedure would help lessen the mortality rate of coronavirus. Passive antibody therapy is to transfer the antibody developed in one person to another. Person above 18 years of age can donate blood plasma for the purpose. Plasma is a colorless fluid part of blood in which corpuscles or fat globules are suspended.
He also assured that donating and receiving blood plasma would not inflict any negative effects to both sides rather it would be useful in the treatment of the virus. Regional Blood Transmission Centre Bharatpur chief Ramesh Kanta Poudel said blood donors are also showing eagerness to donate their blood plasma.
Three eligible people from Madi are donating body today, he added. Bharatpur hospital has formed a committee under the leadership of Dr Sapkota for the treatment of coronavirus-infected people. Blood collection would be carried out as per the blood need and inventory, informed Gopal Prasad Poudel, a focal person for plasma therapy.