COVID-19 patients who received plasma getting better —PGH spokesperson

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) who received plasma from patients who have already recovered from the same illness are showing signs of improvement, the hospital’s spokesperson said Thursday.

In a 24 Oras report by Sandra Aguinaldo, Dr. Jonas Del Rosario said six of their COVID-19 patients had already undergone convalescent plasma therapy.

“Of the six, four are actually doing well, one is already out of the ICU, [now] in the recovery phase, three are still in the ICU but stable and improving,” he said.

Through this experimental treatment, the plasma of recovered patients—which contain antibodies that fight the coronavirus—are transfused to active COVID-19 cases to help their bodies combat the disease.

“Hindi namin sinasabing 100 percent gagaling o makakatulong ‘yung plasma pero just the same, kasi paniwala namin ‘yung antibodies po na ito galing sa plasma ay dagdag gamot para sa mga taong hindi pa nakaka-recover sa COVID-19,” Del Rosario said.

St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City, which has already transfused plasma to 12 of its COVID-19 patients, urged medical professionals to perform the therapy within 14 days from the onset of symptoms.

Five of the patients in critical condition who received plasma are getting better and were already taken off of ventilators.

“Five out of 12 who received the plasma were given within 14 days as most of the studies suggest that it should be given within that period from the start of symptoms to be more effective,” hematologist Dr. Francisco Lopez said.

“Ang problema sa atin, yung nasal swab [results] comes out after 10 days sometimes," he said. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News