Kanika Kapoor offers to donate plasma for treating COVID-19 patients

Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor on Monday expressed her desire to donate her plasma for treating coronavirus patients, officials said. She has given her blood sample for testing at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) here, they said.  

"Singer Kanika Kapoor on Monday expressed her desire to KGMU doctors to donate plasma. After this, she was called and her blood sample was taken for testing. If everything is found appropriate in the report (of the blood test, she will be called on Monday evening or Tuesday to donate her plasma, Tulika Chandra, Head of Department of Transfusion Medicine, KGMU told PTI.  

"So far, three COVID-19 patients, who have recovered from the infection at the KGMU, have donated their plasma. This includes a resident doctor of KGMU Tauseef Khan, a female doctor from Canada (who was admitted here) and another patient," she said.

The Sarojini Nagar police visited Kanika Kapoor’s residence in Lucknow earlier on Monday. The police officials served a notice to her, with regards to the FIR filed against her in a negligence case. As per reports, the police pasted the notice at the residence, asking her to record her statement in the case.

Kapoor had tested positive for novel coronavirus on March 20. She came under attack for negligence and not practising self-quarantine despite returning to the country from the UK amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement on Sunday, the singer said there have been several "wrong exchanges of information" regarding her travel timeline and battle with the disease.

Kanika Kapoor gets police visit after breaking COVID row silence; called for interrogation

What is Plasma Therapy?

Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. In this treatment, plasma (a blood component) from a cured COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. The blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 develops antibodies to battle against the virus. The idea behind the therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma.

Once the blood plasma of the recovered patient is infused with that of the second patient, the antibodies start fighting against coronavirus in the second person's body. The process of donating plasma is similar to that of donating blood and takes about an hour. 

(with PTI inputs)