Donating Plasma to COVID-19 Patient

Since India is facing a healthcare crisis after the sudden surge in the COVID-19 cases, the Central Government has opened the vaccination process for everyone above 18 years of age. Every day, friends and family members of COVID-19 patients are requesting plasma hoping to find a recovered person who is ready to donate. Convalescent plasma therapy is one of the most opted and effective options explored to save a mass number of patients.

What is Convalescent Plasma

Convalescent is a term that relates to the period of recovery from a disease. Plasma refers to the yellow, liquid part of your blood which consists of antibodies.

Convalescent Plasma is the plasma collected from an infected person so that the antibodies present in it can be transferred to another person. Antibodies are proteins developed by your body to fight against infections.

In the case of Covid-19, the convalescent plasma of the recovered patient may consist of antibodies that can help combat against the coronavirus. Therefore, the donation of convalescent plasma can help the hospitalized COVID-19 patients recover quickly and create antibodies easily.

FDA has announced an emergency use authorization in the hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 infected patients. Based on the available scientific evidence, the FDA decided that this can really be an effective technique to reduce the potential risk of COVID-19 patients while improving the health crisis in the state.

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Are You Eligible To Donate Plasma?

The person who has recovered from COVID-19 is encouraged to donate plasma to save the infected patient's lives. Only recovered patients are eligible to donate COVID-19 convalescent plasma through the blood. The donors must have a prior diagnosis of COVID-19 recorded whether it can be an RT-PCR test or other donor qualifications. A person should have finished the resolution of their symptoms for a minimum of 14 days prior to donation.

Central Government Guidelines For Plasma Donors

The Central Government has delivered a guideline in order to donate plasma to infected patients. These are the important elements one need to undertake if they are eligible to donate plasma:

• Carry a hard copy of your rapid antigen test or RT-PCR test (COVID-19 negative report) within the 4 months of duration along with your aadhar card (both sides).
• Donate plasma only if the person is COVID-19 positive after 14 days if asymptomatic or symptomatic (but not showing symptoms).
• Pregnant women can not donate convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients.
• A person can not donate the plasma if the individual gets rejected due to the lack of adequate antibodies in their blood.
• Contact a nearby hospital to get more information or consult over call before donating the plasma.

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How Can I Donate Convalescent Plasma

There are several resources available regarding donating convalescent plasma in your region. To find the donation site nearest you:

• covidplasma.online/
• https://dhoondh.com
• http://needplasma.in/

Digital Data Bank of Plasma Donors

In order to connect needy recipients and donors, the Delhi Police has established a digital data bank for plasma donors. 'Jeevan Rakshak' is an online Google form that has been devised to get the details of donors and receipts. The person who requires plasma can register their requisition requests. This Google form is directly linked with the official website of Delhi Police. The data such as the name of patients/donor, hospital ID, location of the hospital, blood group, doctor's prescription, etc. details are extracted for sharing the donor among them. This initiative is taken to facilitate plasma therapy to save more lives and boost recovery numbers.

Bottom Line

The entire world is coming together to support India in this healthcare crisis. Not only the state government but also citizens are contributing their part in the betterment by staying at home, actively donating plasma, and following guidelines. Consult with our doctors with The Wellness Corner app to check if you're eligible to donate plasma. You can also book an RT-PCR test @home if feeling COVID-19-like symptoms.