‘20,000 patients may need plasma therapy’
A single recovered Covid-19 patient can donate plasma up to five times, helping two people in a go
A Reuters file image.
KARACHI:
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing towards its peak in the country and the healthcare system straining under the burden, experts believe that around 20,000 critically ill Covid-19 patients may need passive immunisation, also known as plasma therapy.
Dr Shamsi, a consultant haematologist and transplant physician at the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD), was addressing a webinar, organised by Hilton Pharma to educate the doctors and medical professionals, where he shared that as many as 230 patients had been provided plasma therapy in the country so far.
He explained the plasma extraction process to the doctors, mentioning that each person who had recovered from Covid-19 could donate their plasma up to four or five times, while two patients could be treated with a single extraction. He further pointed out that asymptomatic individuals, who could be detected through antibody tests, were a large population of potential donors of plasma.
Adding that the plasma was being provided to the patients who qualify the criteria for the ongoing clinical trials for free, Dr Shamsi expressed gratitude to the NIBD and other government bodies for their support.
He also thanked the government for appealing to the citizens for plasma donation and helping expand the collection to more towns.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2020.
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing towards its peak in the country and the healthcare system straining under the burden, experts believe that around 20,000 critically ill Covid-19 patients may need passive immunisation, also known as plasma therapy.
Dr Shamsi, a consultant haematologist and transplant physician at the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD), was addressing a webinar, organised by Hilton Pharma to educate the doctors and medical professionals, where he shared that as many as 230 patients had been provided plasma therapy in the country so far.
He explained the plasma extraction process to the doctors, mentioning that each person who had recovered from Covid-19 could donate their plasma up to four or five times, while two patients could be treated with a single extraction. He further pointed out that asymptomatic individuals, who could be detected through antibody tests, were a large population of potential donors of plasma.
Adding that the plasma was being provided to the patients who qualify the criteria for the ongoing clinical trials for free, Dr Shamsi expressed gratitude to the NIBD and other government bodies for their support.
He also thanked the government for appealing to the citizens for plasma donation and helping expand the collection to more towns.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2020.