PLASMA THERAPY

Subject : Science and tech

Context : Convalescent plasma therapy could soon be discontinued as a treatment for COVID-19 patients, the Centre.

Plasma therapy failed to benefit COVID-19 patients in the largest randomized trial conducted in India, carried out by the ICMR which found that plasma didn’t particularly help lower mortality or severity of COVID-19 in patients treated with it.

Concept :

Convalescent Plasma Therapy

• Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy is not a new therapy and banks on the age-old concept of passive immunity.
• The convalescent plasma therapy seeks to make use of the antibodies developed in the recovered patient against the coronavirus.
• The whole blood or plasma from such people is taken, and the plasma is then injected in critically ill patients so that the antibodies are transferred and boost their fight against the virus.
• A study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases stated that a Covid patient usually develops primary immunity against the virus in 10-14 days.
• Therefore, if the plasma is injected at an early stage, it can possibly help fight the virus and prevent severe illness.
• The plasma can be infused into two kinds of Covid-19 patients, those with a severe illness or individuals at a higher risk of getting the virus.
• However, while plasma transfers immunity from one person to another, it is not known if it can save lives in Covid-19 infection.