Patients cured of COVID-19 queue up to donate plasma in Mumbai

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, April 16

Patients who have been cured of the COVID-19 virus in Mumbai are queuing up to donate blood for convalescent plasma therapy on those suffering from the infection.

According to doctors at the BYL Nair Hospital here, one person who was cured of the virus has already donated blood while more would be doing in the next few days.

“We will separate the plasma from the blood of the patient and use it to treat seriously ill patients,” Dr Ramesh Barmal, Dean, BYL Nair Hospital, said.

He added that the hospital was still in the process of setting up a plasma bank for COVID-19 patients to procure adequate stocks before treatment could start.

According to medical experts, those who have recovered from the virus would have developed antibodies against COVID-19.

Plasma harvested from them would have these antibodies which would help treat seriously ill patients, according to experts appointed by the Maharashtra Government.

The Maharashtra Government has however indicated that the Convalescent Plasma Therapy was only being conducted as a study and should not be considered to be an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients.

The therapy would be used on seriously ill patients only on compassionate grounds, according to officials here.

Officials here say the Kerala Government has already started the therapy on patients in that state.