Tirupati: Svims begins plasma collection from Covid survivors

Tirupati: Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (Svims) started collecting plasma from Covid survivors. The state government permitted the institute along with government general hospital (GGH), Kurnool to draw convalescent plasma from Covid patients after they are cured and discharged.

This is a bid towards initiating plasma therapy for Covid patients for which the trials have already started by a few states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh though not on a large scale. Several other states are also awaiting the approval of ICMR to start clinical trials of plasma therapy. According to doctors, there were a few studies on the plasma therapy for Covid patients and they say that it would be effective on those having severe symptoms of the disease. ICMR permitted hospitals can do this therapy after obtaining consent from both Covid survivors and their family members.

The patients are eligible to donate their plasma after 14 days from their date of discharge and they need to be tested again for Covid along with some other screening tests like HIV, Hepatitis, etc., Each donor can donate 400 ml of plasma which can be given to two patients as each one require 200 ml of it.

Speaking to The Hans India, director cum vice-chancellor of Svims Dr B Vengamma said that on Tuesday plasma was collected from three Covid patients and may be on Thursday another four patients will donate it. "We need to convince and counsel the patients on donating plasma. As of now, we have been asked to collect and store it from Covid positive patients after they are cured as it will be rich in antibodies and help in combating the deadly virus when it is transfused into critically ill patients with severe symptoms of Covid," she maintained.

However, much research would be required on its usefulness as patients with only mild symptoms or asymptomatic patients were only got admitted in the district. The therapy may be effective when the plasma is collected from those having serious symptoms and are recovered from them. To a question, she said that it could be stored for even more than one year.