What is plasma therapy for Covid-19

As the world is suffering from pandemic by Covid-19, the effort to find an effective treatment is on a war footing.  Few drugs like HCQS, Remdesvir, and Tocilizumab are being tested, vaccines are being developed. A vaccine may be a mainstay in the future , but till that time, how to control mortality.  Convalescent plasma therapy has been found to be useful in China.

Convalescent plasma is an antibody-rich plasma product prepared from the blood donated by the patients, who have recovered from Covid-19 infection recently. These patients are tested twice negative and ELISA can also be done to check for antibodies. The antibodies are proteins with the capability to fight infection in the body and are important component of the immune system

  Antibody rich plasma can be taken after two weeks after  the patient has recovered. The plasma of such patients has the potential to treat or lessen the severity of Covid -19. Plasma taken from one patient may help three to four patients. A donor can again donate after one week. The subsets of patients who may benefit are sick patients in ICU, on the ventilator and are having a risk of death.

The plasma therapy was used for diphtheria and tetanus  about 120 years ago and  used for viral infections like EBOLA

ICMR has permitted  for clinical  trials  of plasma therapy for Covid -19

FDA  has also permitted to pool the donor volunteers.