Coronavirus | Not all COVID survivors can donate plasma

Usually, the level of antibodies against coronavirus in a willing donor is checked before initiating procedure

Everyday, family members and friends of COVID patients are tapping into all their contacts earnestly hoping to find a recovered person who is willing to donate plasma. Convalescent plasma therapy is one of the options explored to save some patients.

Transfusion medicine specialist Dr. Hitesh Kumar, also head of the blood bank at KIMS, explained about who all can donate plasma, how many times a person can donate plasma, and if there will be any changes to one’s health after the donation.

Plasma from those who recovered from COVID-19 contains antibodies that neutralise coronavirus. It is expected that the mortality rate might come down and patients will recover when plasma filled with the neutralising antibodies are infused into them. The process is still in clinical trial stages at Gandhi Hospital. However, it is increasingly opted at private hospitals, and thus, the flood of requests from family members desperate to save their loved ones.

However, not all virus survivors can donate plasma. A week ago, Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy said that antibodies in very mild symptomatic patients might protect them from second infection. But it will not be enough to protect others.

Usually, the level of antibodies against coronavirus in a willing donor is checked before initiating the procedure. And then doctors ask for COVID positive report from donors. These two steps help to know if the person had COVID. Then, a few diagnostic tests are performed before donation. The entire process of diagnostic tests, and donation, takes around three hours.

Dr. Hitesh said that a person who had recovered can donate plasma around 30 to 40 days after testing positive as they would have adequate number of antibodies.

“Those between the ages of 18 and 55 can donate. People with hypertension and diabetes too are eligible if all other conditions are under control. Patients with HIV, kidney transplant recipients, cancer patients, TB patients, and people who underwent surgery or had a tattoo in the past six months are ineligible,” Dr. Kumar said.

But, plasma therapy might not work in all COVID patients. The DME earlier said that patients with moderate to severe symptoms can be administered plasma therapy but not those who are critically-ill and who are on ventilator support as viral load will be so high that the antibodies (in convalescent plasma) are of no use.

Regarding blood group of donors, doctors said that the best possible choice is of donor and patient having the same group. Otherwise, it is transfused according to the plasma compatibility chart only. A willing donor can give plasma twice a month. Dr. Kumar said that plasma can be stored at minus 40 degrees Celsius for up to a year.

“There will be no change in health of plasma donors. No blood cells are extracted from their blood. Hence, there is no chance of weakness. Donors can get back to work in just over an hour,” he said.