● Blood plasma is a yellowish liquid component of blood that holds the blood cells of whole blood in suspension.
● It is the single largest component of human blood that makes upto 55% of its volume.
● It comprises of water, salts, enzymes, antibodies and other proteins.
● It is composed of 90% water and performs necessary function of transportation for cells and other vital elements in human body.
● Plasma carries out a variety of functions in the body, including blood clotting , fighting diseases and other critical functions.
● Plasma is a component of blood that plays an efficient role in fighting diseases, therefore donating it can help in the recovery of infected patients in case of certain diseases.
● Source plasma and recovered plasma are used to produce therapies that treat people with rare, chronic diseases. One of these diseases also include Covid 19.
● Our world today is majorly infected due to this ongoing pandemic. Some people have recovered while others are still struggling under critical conditions.
● Plasma donation via a recovered patient has resulted in curing the lives of patients infected with severe case of covid-19.
● If you were previously infected by covid-19 and have fully recovered from a verified covid-19 diagnosis, then the plasma in your blood may contain COVID-19 antibodies that can attack the virus i.e. your body has begun the process of immunisation against the coronavirus.
● This immunisation let’s the plasma create a blue print of the virus that further helps the cells in fight g against it in case of any future encounter.
● If this immune plasma from a covid-19 recovered patient is transferred to a critically infected patient.. It may result in reversal of the disease and hence the cure
● However the people who donate the plasma for covid-19 would not be infected in anyway. The after impacts would be normal. The donors must ensure a good health status pre and post donation.
1. When one contracts an infection, especially a viral infection, their recovery depends on the production of antibodies to fight the antigen (the virus, which in the current case, is COVID-19). These antibodies are present in the recovered person’s blood for a few weeks after recovery.
2. On the other hand, those who are not recovering from the viral infection could be failing to fight it off as they may not have developed the warrior antibodies.
3. If the patient who is failing to recover is administered antibodies from a convalescing patient (rich in antibodies), the ailing patient would be able to fight the virus and recover from the infection.
● Recovered patients who have completed their quarantine period ie about 24- 28 days after the onset of the symptoms and those in whose body the levels of antibodies such as anti SARS co v antibodies are at good level are eligible to be sent to blood banks for plasma donation.
● Donor should be fully recovered and must not show any symptoms and lead a regular life
● The person wishing to donate must be Covid-negative in two consecutive RT-PCR tests.
● Donors should be at least 18 years of age. Women who have never been pregnant (nulliparous) and whose body weight is more than 55 kg, are eligible.