He Social Health Insurance (EsSalud) began the exploratory stage for the use of convalescent plasma in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in order to find a possible cure for this disease, which in the country has affected more than 288 thousand people, according to the latest official report.
The research protocol for the use of this technique was approved by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and will be developed by specialists from the Transfusion Medicine Service (Blood Bank) and the clinical area of the Edgardo Rebagliati Hospital of EsSalud.
This technique, which has already been applied in other pandemics, involves transfusing plasma from the blood of people who recovered from the COVID-19 to patients infected with the virus, reported Dr. Arturo Sagástegui, head of the Blood Bank of the Hospital Rebagliati.
He explained that when a person contracts a virus like COVID-19, your immune system creates antibodies to fight the virus. These antibodies are found in plasma, which is the liquid part of the blood. Plasma with these infection-fighting antibodies is called “convalescent plasma.”
“Although we have not yet found a cure for COVID-19, this study will allow evaluating if the use of convalescent plasma works and has an effect in the recovery of the infected patient. It will be applied in people who show signs of disease progression in order to avoid complications, “he said.
The research protocol for the use of convalescent patient-patient plasma transfusion COVID-19 positive has been designed by a group of doctors from the Edgardo Rebagliati hospital and researchers from the IETSI with the resolution of the Ethics Committee of the National Institute of Health (INS).
Said project has recently been selected by the Concytec National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development, an entity that will finance the development of the research.
Process
The specialist indicated that the Hospital Rebagliati has been calling patients who had COVID-19 and they overcame the disease so that they can donate blood and in this way get the plasma that will be used in research.
He noted that the eligible donor must be fully recovered and symptom-free for 28 days. Before the plasma is withdrawn, the donor undergoes a molecular diagnostic test from a nasa / pharyngeal swab to verify that it has already passed the phase in which it may be contagious. In addition, blood samples are taken to check that you have developed antibodies against the virus.
He said that once the blood is collected, the convalescent plasma is separated which is transfused to a patient infected with the new coronaviruYou are hospitalized, which provides a boost to the immune system and can help speed up the recovery process.
“If you have recovered from COVID-19You can donate your plasma for research that could help other patients, who are battling the virus, to recover, “he said.
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