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Covid-19 and Plasma Therapy

Vijayarani Sivakumar

Published On - April 29, 2020

In the absence of a vaccine against COVID-19, doctors and scientists are experimenting with convalescent plasma as a means of treating COVID infected patients and hasten their recovery. Convalescent means, recuperation or recovering from an illness. During this phase, the patients recovering from COVID-19 will have antibodies against the virus. If the plasma from these patients is transfused into others who are infected with COVID and struggling to recover, it will help and support them to make a quick recovery.

The Convalescent Plasma therapy is a process in which blood plasma from a patient who has recovered from COVID-19 is infused into a critically ill patient so that the specific antibodies present in the blood of the recovered person can help fight the infection. Antibodies are proteins in blood that fight specific bacteria and viruses.

A vaccine will take time, maybe a year’s time. So instead of waiting for that, doctors are investigating this alternative route. Evidence shows that convalescent plasma from patients who have recovered from viral infections can be used as a treatment without the occurrence of severe adverse events. Therefore, it might be worthwhile to test the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma transfusion in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients.

Read on to know more about plasma transfusions and it can save lives….

What is Plasma in Blood?

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood. About 55% of our blood is plasma, and the remaining 45% are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that are suspended in the plasma.

Plasma is about 92% water. It also contains 7% vital proteins such as albumin, gamma globulin and anti-hemophilic factor, and 1% mineral salts, sugars, fats, hormones and vitamins.

Plasma serves four important functions in our bodies:

1. Helps maintain blood pressure and volume.

2. Supply critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity.

3. Carries electrolytes such as sodium and potassium to our muscles.

4. Helps to maintain a proper pH balance in the body, which supports cell function.

What is Blood Plasma Used For?

Plasma is commonly given to trauma, burn and shock patients, as well as people with severe liver disease or multiple clotting factor deficiencies. It helps boost the patient’s blood volume, which can prevent shock, and helps with blood clotting. Pharmaceutical companies use plasma to make treatments for conditions such as immune deficiencies and bleeding disorders.

What is a Plasma Donation?

In a plasma-only donation, the liquid portion of the donor’s blood is separated from the cells. Blood is drawn from one arm and sent through a high-tech machine that collects the plasma. The donor’s red blood cells and platelets are then returned to the donor along with some saline. The process is safe and only takes a few minutes longer than donating whole blood.