Today as we all know, the most viral news and update about COVID-19's treatment is convalescent plasma therapy. But most of the people are wondering about this therapy. Like what is it, what is plasma, how it works, how plasma is taken from Donor and what are its requirements for matching and what will be the duration therapy. So, I will provide all the details regarding plasma therapy in this article. Lets begin!
What Is Plasma?
Plasma is the often forgotten part of blood. White blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are important to body function. But plasma also plays a key role. This fluid carries the blood components throughout the body.
Facts about plasma
Plasma is the largest part of your blood. It, makes up more than half (about 55%) of its overall content. When separated from the rest of the blood, plasma is a light yellow liquid. Plasma carries water, salts and enzymes.
The main role of plasma is to take nutrients, hormones, and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Cells also put their waste products into the plasma. The plasma then helps remove this waste from the body. Blood plasma also carries all parts of the blood through your circulatory system.
How does plasma keep you healthy?
Plasma is a critical part of the treatment for many serious health problems. This is why there are blood drives asking people to donate blood plasma.
Along with water, salt, and enzymes, plasma also contains important components. These include antibodies, clotting factors, and the proteins albumin and fibrinogen. When you donate blood, healthcare providers can separate these vital parts from your plasma. These parts can then be concentrated into various products. These products are then used as treatments that can help save the lives of people suffering from burns, shock, trauma, and other medical emergencies.
The proteins and antibodies in plasma are also used in therapies for rare chronic conditions. These include autoimmune disorders and hemophilia. People with these conditions can live long and productive lives because of the treatments. In fact, some health organizations call plasma "the gift of life."
Donating plasma
If you want to donate plasma to help others in need, you will go through a screening process. This is to make sure your blood is healthy and safe. If you qualify as a plasma donor, you'll spend about an hour and a half at a clinic on every follow-up visit.
During the actual blood donation process, your blood is drawn through a needle placed in a vein in one arm. A special machine separates the plasma and often the platelets from your blood sample. This process is called plasmapheresis. The remaining red blood cells and other blood components are then returned to your body, along with a little saline (salt) solution.
At noncommercial donation sites, people can donate plasma every 28 days, up to 13 times a year.
Coronavirus: What is convalescent plasma therapy?
Convalescent plasma therapy involves transfusing certain components from the blood of people who have had the COVID-19 virus and recovered into people who are very sick with the virus or people who are at high risk of getting the virus.
How does it work
As people fight the COVID-19 virus, they produce antibodies that attack the virus. Those antibodies, proteins that are secreted by immune cells known as B lymphocytes, are found in plasma, or the liquid part of blood that helps the blood to clot when needed and supports immunity.
Once a person has had the virus and recovered, that person has developed antibodies that will stay in their blood waiting to fight the same virus should it return. Those antibodies, when injected into another person with the disease, recognize the virus as something to attack.
In the case of the coronavirus, scientists say antibodies attack the spikes on the outside of the virus, blocking the virus from penetrating human cells.
Who would it help?
Researchers hope that convalescent plasma will be effective in treating people with the most severe symptoms of the virus. Additionally, it is hoped that it can keep those people who are not as sick from COVID-19 from getting any sicker.
Convalescent plasma is also known as passive antibody therapy, meaning that while it can immediately provide a person with antibodies to fight a virus, those antibodies only last a short period of time in the recipient’s body.
How many patients can be treated with plasma from a donor?
One person’s donation of plasma can produce two doses of the material needed for transfusions. Scientists say that a person only needs one transfusion to get enough antibodies to fight a virus.
Who is conducting trials on convalescent plasma therapy?
Thirty-four institutions around the country are part of the National Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma Project. The project is asking people who have had the virus and are at least 21 days out from the onset of the first symptoms to donate plasma. The project was self-organized by medical researchers across the country.
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City has partnered with the FDA on clinical trials on convalescent plasma and is treating three patients with the therapy. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, is also conducting convalescent plasma trials.
A study from China suggested that the use of convalescent plasma treatment was successful in treating five critically ill patients.
Is it a new treatment?
The idea of using one person’s antibodies to help another person fight a virus is not new. Reports show that as far back as the 1890s, some form of the therapy was being tried. Convalescent therapy was used to treat measles and mumps.
The downside of the treatment is that it is expensive and limited by the number of donors since one donation can make only two doses of the therapy.
Who can donate?
Different trials may have different requirements for participation. The American Red Cross is asking people to donate plasma for trials as long as participants meet these guidelines:
- Are at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 lbs.
- Are in good health and feeling well.
- Have a prior diagnosis of COVID-19 and meet specific laboratory criteria.
- Must be symptom-free for at least 14 days prior to donation.
If you meet all the criteria above and are willing to help, the Red Cross is asking you to complete the Donor Request form.
Is it working?
According to the FDA,
“It is not currently known if convalescent plasma will be an effective treatment against COVID-19,”
but news of success from studies around the world are showing promise.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association described encouraging results when it was used in five critically ill patients who had both COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). All five patients in the study recovered.
The study noted that more research is needed as the study included only five patients.
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