Gordon asks COVID-19 survivors to donate more convalescent plasma

Philippine Red Cross chairman Senator Richard Gordon on Saturday appealed to COVID-19 survivors to donate their convalescent plasma to help those who are currently infected with the coronavirus.

His call came as Philippine COVID-19 cases continued to surge.

“COVID-19 cases are rising to unprecedented heights recently that we lost in five days what we have gained in five months. We need to have sufficient supply of convalescent plasma to help those who are confined in hospitals due to the disease,” he said.

Gordon mentioned that the PRC only had eight units of convalescent plasma, according to their latest inventory.

“With a number of hospitals, especially those that are dedicated for COVID-19, now at full capacity due to the exponential rise in cases, we can help prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by donating plasma since COVID patients will recover in a shorter time. COVID survivors can become heroes,” he said.

So far, the PRC has dispensed 784 units of plasma and served 686 patients from 88 different hospitals since July last year.

One of the treatments being tried by medical experts on COVID-19 patients is the convalescent plasma transfusion.

This involves infusing a COVID-19 patient with plasma from the blood of those who survived the respiratory disease to help fight the virus.

Among those who donated their plasmas were Senators Sonny Angara and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

In July 2020, the PRC opened a convalescent plasma center in its National Blood Center in the Port Area. —Hana Bordey/DVM, GMA News