Plasma Therapy has emerged as one of important tools in treatment of COVID-19 patients. Countries like US, UK, China, have started clinical trials of this treatment for patients of COVID-19.
In India, it has been approved for clinical trials on COVID-19 cases by Drugs Controller General of India as per the protocol developed by Indian Council Medical Research.
Plasma Therapy has been used in previous viral pandemics. It was very effective during the Ebola outbreak in Africa in 2018.
The basic principle of Plasma Therapy is to use the immune power gained by a recovered person to treat a sick person.
In this treatment, blood is collected from a person who has recovered from COVID-19 sickness. Then the virus neutralizing antibodies are separated from the serum after screening.
The Convalescent Serum, rich in antibodies against the Novel Corona virus, is then administered to a COVID-19 patient.
The COVID-19 patient thus acquires passive immunization.
Vice Chancellor of King George Medical University, Lucknow, Prof. MLB Bhatt says the therapy is meant only for severely affected patients.
The therapy is given only after getting informed consent of the patient.
The success of the therapy in severe cases of COVID-19 has been a ray of hope for the mankind as the scientists are working overtime to develop a vaccine to check the spread of the pandemic.