Plasma therapy recipient & donor both share experience after recovery from Coronavirus

As the country is battling the Coronavirus crisis, a plasma therapy recipient who has recovered from COVID-19 has shared his experience. According to reports, Kapil Dev Bhalla was admitted to Aurobindo Hospital in Indore after he detected positive for the Coronavirus. 

"I was admitted to Aurobindo Hospital wherein during my treatment for coronavirus the congestion in my chest was not getting cured despite several efforts. On April 26, I was told by Dr. Ravi Dhosi that they are planning to administer plasma therapy on me. I gave them a thumbs up and within three days it worked on my body. I had received plasma from a doctor named Dr. Izhar Munshi who had recovered from coronavirus," Bhalla said.

He further added that after getting the therapy, the congestion in his chest was cleared within three days. "I was taken off oxygen and was discharged on May 6. I have already told the doctors at Aurobindo Hospital that I am ready to donate plasma whenever they want," he said. 

Read: ICMR begins clinical trial to assess safety of convalescent plasma therapy to treat Covid

Plasma donor shares experience 

Meanwhile, Dr. Iqbal Qureshi who donated the plasma to Bhalla said that earlier, he was admitted to the Aurobindo Hospital after testing positive for the virus. "After I was discharged and completed 14 days of home quarantine, I received a call from Aurobindo Medical College, Indore asking me to donate plasma therapy. I immediately agreed." He added that around 400 ml of plasma was taken from him that benefitted two patients. Dr. Qureshi also urged the people who have recovered from COVID-19 to come forward and donate plasma. 

However, Superintendent of Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar Hospital Dr. PS Thakur has warned people of getting excited over the plasma therapy as it is only under the trial stage. 

Read: Haryana witnesses 70% recovery rate, Health Min says 'Only using traditional medicines'

About Plasma Therapy 

Researchers are testing the use of donated blood as a treatment for people with a severe case of COVID-19. The antibodies created to fight the infection remain in a person's blood even after his/her recovery from the novel coronavirus. If such an individual donates blood, the plasma which has a high concentration of the antibodies can be transfused to a COVID-19 patient. This could help boost the immune system of the latter.

As per the guidelines, hospitals and institutions planning to provide this modality of treatment should do so in a clinical trial with protocols that are cleared by the Institutional Ethics Committee, the ICMR had said earlier while seeking participation in the trial. The Union Health Ministry has also warned against its use, saying that plasma therapy for the treatment of Coronavirus patients is at an experimental stage and has the potential to cause life-threatening complications.

Read: COVID-19: First patient to receive plasma therapy in Uttar Pradesh dies of heart attack

Read: UP’s first COVID-19 patient to undergo plasma therapy stable, say doctors

(With ANI Inputs)