a) In today's Covid situation, it is said that the plasma of Covid-affected recovered person is
very useful for the patient who is the vienm of this corona virus & is under observation
Give reason & explain your answer
(3)
Answers
Dr. Farida Al Hosani, the official spokesperson for the UAE health sector, said on Saturday that it was one of many treatment methods being used, while UAE doctors say once a person has recovered they have developed antibodies that will stay in their blood to fight the same virus.
Dr. Faisal Asad
“Those antibodies, when injected into another person with the disease, will recognize the virus as something to attack,” said Dr. Faisal Asad, consultant pulmonologist at Saudi German Hospital.
This treatment is called convalescent plasma therapy.
Plasma, which contains water, salts, enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins, is the single largest component of human blood.
It is the clear, liquid portion of blood that remains after red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and other cellular components are removed.
Doctors believe the plasma of patients who have completely recovered from COVID-19 is rich in antibodies.
Dr. Asad said, “The blood plasma obtained from patients recovered from infectious illnesses containing antibodies is used to treat patients who have not yet developed antibodies in their own body.
“In the past, it has shown success in cases like diphtheria and the Ebola virus. The concept is to buy prepared food when one is very hungry and has no time to cook by oneself. Patients who are critically ill and do not respond to other treatments are considered for such treatment as per set protocols,” he added.
Although large-scale scientific studies are not yet available, this approach can be very useful in the treatment of critically-ill COVID-19 patients, said another doctor.
Dr. Suneet Kaur
Dr. Suneet Kaur, Specialist Pathology and Hospital Oupatient Doctor at NMC Specialty Hospital Al Ain, explained: “Donor antibodies may potentially help patients (those on ventilators, old people, or people with poor immunity) to fight off the disease in a more effective way by providing them with passive immunity. These passive antibodies last for short periods of time like weeks or months.”
Dr Kaur reiterated convalescent plasma therapy has been used in the past, even for measles and mumps before vaccines were developed for them.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also approved the use of convalescent serum in the treatment of Covid-19 patients under compassionate use, she added.