KMC Hospital in Manipal has sought the permission from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to start plasma therapy for the treatment of severely-ill COVID-19 patients.

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Once the permission is given, the plasma therapy will be started at the hospital to treat the patients. Convalescent Plasma Therapy involves collecting convalescent plasma or the liquid part of the blood from a blood donor. The idea behind the treatment is to extract blood bearing COVID-19 antibodies from patients who have survived the infection and provide them to those who are infected. It helps in transferring antibody to the infected patients, said Dr Shashikiran Umakanth of Dr T M Pai Hospital in Udupi.

The police, who are entrusted with the work of maintaining law and order, are now getting ready to join hands with the doctors in saving the lives of the COVID-19 infected by donating plasma. More than 10 police personnel, who have recovered from COVID-19 infection, have come forward to donate plasma for plasma treatment of infected patients. The SP said as preparation for the plasma therapy, a list of plasma donors was prepared in the district.

Only those who have recovered from COVID-19 can donate plasma after two weeks of recovery and before three months of recovery. Plasma can be collected only if there are enough antibodies in the person, said Dr Shashikiran. Those who are above 60 years, pregnant women, children and those suffering from diabetes, BP and blood cancer cannot donate plasma.