COVID-19 patients show improvement after getting blood plasma from survivors

COVID-19 patients who received blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors have started to show improvement in their condition, a hematologist at the St. Luke's Medical Center in the Bonifacio Global City said on Wednesday.

According to Sandra Aguinaldo's report on "24 Oras", seven patients in critical condition at the hospital have been given the treatment.

"Slowly, we are seeing improvement in their chest x-ray and also 'yung mga oxygenation requirement bumababa na rin," Hematologist Dr. Francisco Lopez said.

"Ang 'yung mga biomarkers ng inflammation nakikita rin ho natin na bumababa rin," he added.

"Kung nasa ventilator sila, sa machine, dahan-dahan 'yung requirement ng oxygen na bumababa," Lopez said.

Lopez, however, said the treatment needed further study despite the improvement seen in the condition of the patients.

"We don't want to create a hype. We want more evidence," Lopez said.

Under the convalescent plasma treatment, COVID-19 patients will receive a transfusion of plasma from COVID-19 survivors.

Blood plasma from survivors is believed to contain anti-bodies against the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the sickness.

In Wuhan, China, where the pandemic is believed to have started, 10 severe COVID-19 cases were given the convalescent plasma treatment.

Some of the patients tested were already on ventilators due to difficulty in breathing.

After the transfusion, doctors observed a reduced inflammation and an increase in lymphocytes, which may fight infection, in 12 to 24 hours.

A study showed that in one to three days after the transfusion, the conditions of patients improved while the symptoms of some had disappeared completely.

"After treatment with CP, two patients were weaned from mechanical ventilation to high-flow nasal cannula, and one patient discontinued high-flow nasal cannula," the study read.

The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) was the first in the country to attempt the treatment, having already given three of its patients the treatment so far.

According to the PGH, prospective donors will have to first undergo screening to ensure that they may donate their blood. Donors must have tested negative twice for the virus and have no COVID-19 symptoms for the 14 days.

COVID-19 survivors who want to donate may contact the following:

•     Philippine General Hospital (Dr. Sandy Maganito): 0917 805 3207
•     St. Lukes Medical Center: 8 789 7700 (local 2096)

-Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News