Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) last week launched plasma therapy for coronavirus treatment but face challenge in collecting plasma.
Plasma is usually collect from patients who recovered from Covid-19 infection and use it as antibody. But the DMCH could only collect plasma from two doctors who recovered from coronavirus at DMCH last Saturday.
In the bid the DMCH offered many recovered patient to donate plasma but they denied the proposals, the DMCH sources said.
It is proved that plasma therapy could possible to prevent a lung infection in a person with Covid-19. Plasma therapy has been started in the treatment of in many countries of the world including the United States.
Dr. MA Khan, head of the expert committee on plasma therapy in Bangladesh and professor of hematology Department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told Business Mirror that about 600 ml of plasma can be collected from an individual body and could apply three patients.
“Many people think that giving plasma can lead to re-infection,” Professor MA Khan said adding those who donate plasma have nothing to worry about.
Plasma therapy is usually used in patients with coronavirus who have very low levels of oxygen in the blood. If plasma therapy is applied, the coronavirus survivor’s antibody will enter the coronavirus patient’s body in a short period of time and neutralize the virus.
These patients do not need to be taken to ICU. Even ventilation does not have to be provided.
So far about 4,000 people have been cured of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. If plasma is collected from them, it is possible to give plasma therapy to at least 10,000 more people.
“In this case, the government should come forward to encourage recovered patient to donate plasma, Khan added.
Dildar Hossain, a medical officer in the kidney disease department of Suhrawardy Hospital, was one of the two who gave plasma to Dhaka Medical on the first day.
Human blood contains 55% water. It is called plasma. Antibodies are made in the body of each of those who have fully recovered after being infected with coronavirus. If the antibodies made in the body of a coronavirus survivor are applied to the body of a person infected with the deadly virus, he will recover.
