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Convalescent Plasma Therapy- Here’s What You Need To Know

Introduction To Convalescent  Plasma Therapy

In Plasma Therapy(Medically called Convalescent Plasma Therapy), people who have recovered from an illness donate their blood. This blood contains antibodies to the respective virus. Only plasma and antibodies are required. Thus, the blood is processed to remove the blood cells. This establishes antibodies helping others to fight against that virus.

Convalescent  Plasma Therapy And Corona Virus

  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces pneumonia called Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19). COVID-19 is named so by World Health Organization(WHO).
  • According to the studies, SARS, a viremia, increases with a peak in the first week of getting infected.
  • An immune response is developed in the second week that likely causes a cytokine storm where the body not just only fights against the virus but also attacks its tissues and cells. This is sufficient to cause destructive harm.
  • Thus, researchers confirm that Convalescent Plasma Therapy is comparatively effective in the earlier stage of the disease.
  • An appeal was made to the patients who had recovered from COVID-19 to donate at least one month ago and within three months. If plasma is received from at least two donors provides more protection due to the various antibodies.
  • This therapy seemed to be useful to deal with the issues such as fatigue and shortness of breath in patients with moderate COVID-19. But there was no progress related to the severe disease.

Some Previous Uses Of The Therapy

This therapy has been used in the cases of the Ebola virus, Junin virus, Machupo virus(or Bolivian hemorrhagic fever), H1N1 Spanish Influenza, 2009 Swine Flu, and the Lassa fever.

Eligibility To Be A Plasma Donor
  • The minimum weight of the donor should be 50Kg.
  • The donor should be healthy and the health should have been checked by a licensed physician or someone under his/her direct guidance. Such a person should certify the donor as acceptable for every plasmapheresis procedure. There might be donors whose plasma will be useful for reference or diagnosis.
  • These healthy donors should fulfill the general criteria to donate blood.
  • The donor can be a male or a female between 18 to 65 years of age.
  • The donor should not have a disease transmissible by blood transfusion.
  • The donor must have an increased level of antibodies either through immunization or naturally.
  • Persons whose blood will be utilized to prepare the vaccine.
  • If the persons belong to the following categories, they cannot act as the donors:
  • It is clinically evident that they have certain infectious diseases.
  • Persons of either gender who have engaged in prostitution.
  • One man had or have a sexual relationship with another man.
  • Used to be or are currently intravenous drug abusers.
  • Persons suffering from hemophilia or other such clotting-factor defects.
  • Persons having sexual factors falling in any of the above categories.
  • Persons who were the receivers in blood transfusion. These persons will be excluded for at least one year.
  • Persons who are diabetics on insulin.
  • Pregnant women shall be excluded from the donation.
  • Persons cannot act as donors within 72 hours of getting their tooth removed or some other minor surgery.
  • The person should not have had a tattoo made within the previous year.
  • If ear piercing, scarification, or acupuncture within the previous year was not done under sterile conditions, the person gets excluded from the blood donation.
  • Skin decontamination procedures must be considered before the donation.
  • The persons who have received pituitary hormones of human origin shall be permanently excluded from the donation.
  • The rules may differ slightly in various countries.

To save 2 lives, 400ml of Plasma is enough. With a gap of 15 days, 500ml of Plasma can be donated by a Person. But this depends on the weight of the person. Here is the complete guidance from WHO Technical Report Series.

As A Receiver

  • Plasma therapy is provided by a doctor to a patient in the early stages of illness or if the immune system of the patient has been weakened.
  • The convalescent plasma has to be compatible with the blood type of the receiver.
  • A sterile single-use needle will be inserted into a vein in any of the arms of the receiver. That needle will be connected to a tube.
  • The whole procedure starting right from the tests may take up to 4 hours.
  • This procedure will be closely monitored and the response of the receiver to the treatment will be recorded.

Conclusion

Plasma therapy is effective for every COVID-19 patient. But it has been considered for the patients in the early stages of COVID-19 or those having weak immunity systems. Also, it has been used in the past to fight against some viruses. The plasma donors won’t get unhealthy due to the plasma donation as the blood cells won’t be extracted from their blood.

 

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