Delhi gets first plasma bank for COVID-19 treatment
Delhi gets first plasma bank for COVID-19 treatment
BusinessToday.In
- Jul 4, 2020,
- Updated Jul 4, 2020 2:13 PM IST
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The Delhi government opened country's first plasma bank. The bank has been set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in Delhi's Vasant Kunj area. The bank collects plasma from people who recovered from coronavirus and has been made available free of cost for those who need it.Here is everything you should know about the plasma bank, procedures to donate and eligibility for donating.
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What is plasma therapyPlasma is the pale yellow looking liquid of the blood that holds the blood cells in whole blood. It consists of minerals, protein, nutrients and hormones. This fluid transports the blood components throughout the body. The function of plasma is to maintain normal blood pressure, supply proteins to different parts of the body for blood clotting and boost immunity. The proteins in plasma are used in therapies for rare chronic conditions. These include autoimmune disorders and hemophilia. People with these conditions can live long and productive lives because of the treatments available. Some health organizations call plasma "the gift of life."
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Why plasma banks?The idea is to extract and store plasma from people who have recovered from Covid-19 and give it to someone in need. Delhi was among the first few states to get approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct trials with plasma therapy. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged people who recovered from coronavirus to come and donate plasma. "We have not got a vaccine for Corona yet. Till the time we do not get a vaccine, plasma therapy will prove to be helpful for the treatment of Covid-19 patients."
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Who can donate?Once a person recovers, he or she can donate plasma after 14 days, provided they are not older than 60-65 years. The donor must also not have diabetes or hypertension or any chronic kidney, heart, lung or liver disease. Cancer survivors cannot donate plasma either. Donors need to be well-nourished and over 50 kg in weight. Haemoglobin levels need to be over 8. Women who have been pregnant cannot donate plasma.
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How many times can a donor donate?Plasma can be donated only once in every 14 days up to 2 months after recovery. Hence, a donor can donate plasma up to three times.
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Procedure to draw plasma from the bodyBlood is drawn from the donor by a technique called plasmapheresis and blood cells are separated. That is returned to the donor's body during the procedure. Only the antibody-rich protein fluid is retained by the machine.
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How much of plasma is required to treat a patient?Up to 500 ml of plasma is drawn from the donor's body in one donation. That amount is sufficient for two patients. It must be mentioned that the donor does not suffer from any weakness after the donation.
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Helpline numbers
Arvind Kejriwal launched two helpline numbers for those who would like to donate plasma: one WhatsApp number and one toll-free number. If you are eligible and are willing to donate plasma, then you may call at 1031 or you can WhatsApp at 8800007722. The doctors will get in touch with you to further confirm your eligibility.
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Do the results look promising?
Delhi doctors have found so far that the therapy is not as effective on critical patients but is doing well with the patients with moderate symptoms. Government officials who are tracking the trial said that in a study conducted on 29 patients at Lok Nayak Hospital, administration of the therapy was found to be safe. The results were also shared with ICMR. Plasma extracted from recovered COVID patients showed more improvement than from a person who has no exposure to the particular disease.