What is blood plasma and its uses?

• Blood plasma is a yellowish liquid component of blood that holds the blood cells of whole blood in suspension.
• It is the single largest component of human blood that makes upto 55% of its volume.
• It comprises water, salts, enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins.
• It is composed of 90% water and performs the necessary function of transportation for cells and other vital elements in the human body.
• Plasma carries out a variety of functions in the body, including blood clotting, fighting diseases, and other critical functions.

What is the necessity of plasma donation?

• Plasma is a component of blood that plays an efficient role in fighting diseases, therefore donating it can help in the recovery of infected patients in case of certain diseases.
• Source plasma and recovered plasma are used to produce therapies that treat people with rare, chronic diseases. One of these diseases also includes Covid 19.
• Our world today is majorly infected due to this ongoing pandemic. Some people have recovered while others are still struggling under critical conditions.
• Plasma donation via a recovered patient has resulted in curing the lives of patients infected with severe case of covid-19.

Why is plasma donation by a recovered patient necessary?

• If you were previously infected by covid-19 and have fully recovered from a verified covid-19 diagnosis, then the plasma in your blood may contain COVID-19 antibodies that can attack the virus i.e. your body has begun the process of immunisation against the coronavirus.
• This immunisation let’s the plasma create a blueprint of the virus that further helps the cells fight g against it in case of any future encounter.
• If this immune plasma from a covid-19 recovered patient is transferred to a critically infected patient. It may result in reversal of the disease and hence the cure
• However the people who donate the plasma for covid-19 would not be infected in anyway. The after impacts would be normal. The donors must ensure a good health status pre and post donation.

How does antibodies work?

• When one contracts an infection, especially a viral infection, their recovery depends on the production of antibodies to fight the antigen (the virus, which in the current case, is COVID-19). These antibodies are present in the recovered person’s blood for a few weeks after recovery.
• On the other hand, those who are not recovering from the viral infection could be failing to fight it off as they may not have developed the warrior antibodies.
• If the patient who is failing to recover is administered antibodies from a convalescing patient (rich in antibodies), the ailing patient would be able to fight the virus and recover from the infection.

Who is eligible for plasma donation for covid-19?

• Recovered patients who have completed their quarantine period ie about 24- 28 days after the onset of the symptoms and those in whose body the levels of antibodies such as anti-SARS co v antibodies are at the good level are eligible to be sent to blood banks for plasma donation.
• Donor should be fully recovered and must not show any symptoms and lead a regular life
• The person wishing to donate must be Covid-negative in two consecutive RT-PCR tests.