What is Plasma Therapy - Activ Living

How Effective Is Plasma Therapy For Covid-19? Here’s All You Need To Know

  • Last Updated On: July 6, 2023
  • 2 minute read

Convalescent Plasma Therapy, or as it is commonly known today ‘plasma therapy’, is one of the few options considered in the treatment of Covid-19 patients. With the second wave spreading rapidly across all parts of the country, here’s your complete guide to understanding this treatment method.

What You Should Know:

What is plasma therapy?

This method of treatment requires the blood sample of a person who has recovered from Coronavirus. The next step is extracting the antibodies from the blood sample and transfusing them into the system of a patient infected with the virus. The aim of this treatment is to kickstart the immune system of the patient to fight the virus.

How effective is plasma therapy for Covid-19?

Plasma therapy has been used as an alternative treatment for critical Covid-19 patients. It is especially effective in patients suffering from liver dysfunction or diabetes. However, it will not be helpful in treating any patient with the new Covid-19 triple mutation strain discovered in India.

The All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) chief, Dr Randeep Guleria, also recently stated that plasma therapy plays a limited role in the treatment and is not used often.

Who can be a plasma donor?

Plasma therapy can still be a helpful treatment option for patients. Especially in the current scenario, where the healthcare system is stretched to its limit. Here’s how to find out if you can become a plasma donor and potentially save some lives:

  1. You need to have recovered from the Covid-19 and tested negative for the virus
  2. You must have shown no symptoms of the virus for the past 14 days.
  3. It’s important to have high antibody levels in your plasma
  4. Your blood type must be compatible with the patient.

Once you donate your plasma, it will be tested for other infectious diseases before being used to treat a patient.

In this urgent health crisis, you can use this link to look for timely help related to treatment and other essential needs. However, you should check for authenticity and do a background check if possible before making any payments or sharing personal details.

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