People who have fully recovered from Covid-19 are being urged to donate their plasma which can save the lives of those suffering from the virus. - Bangkok Post

Call for plasma from recovered victims

People who have fully recovered from Covid-19 are being urged to donate their plasma which can save the lives of those suffering from the virus.

The National Blood Centre (NBC) at the Thai Red Cross Society is calling for plasma from healthy individuals with a history of having contracted the virus and making a full recovery.

Plasma from former patients has been shown to effectively prevent acute lung infections in many Covid-19 sufferers, according to the centre.

Dootchai Chaiwanichsiri, director of the NBC, said the centre appealed for the blood donations from people infected with the virus during the first outbreak which began last year.

"We ask them to be our heroes," the director said, explaining the plasma helps provide immunity against the virus, which can supplement treatment for other people who are sick from the disease.

The plasma reduces the severity of the Covid-19 condition as it inhibits the virus before it attacks the lungs and causes acute infection.

About 400 people have volunteered to donate plasma although only 152 are fit enough to make a donation. A total of 383 bags of Covid-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) were obtained. Of them, 160 bags have been used to produce 700 bottles of Covid-19 intramuscular immunoglobulin (CIMIG).

Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University and an adviser to the NBC, said the plasma presented an option for treating Covid-19 patients.

He said five hospitals have chosen the plasma to supplement the treatment of nine Covid-19 patients. Of them, six were cured of the virus and discharged, two were still being treated and one died. Registration for plasma donations can be made via the NBC Facebook page.