India's first plasma bank opens in Delhi for coronavirus treatment; here's how it works

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated India's first plasma bank on Thursday. The plasma bank is set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) Hospital in the national capital.  The Delhi CM said, "If someone needs plasma, they will need a doctor's recommendation. The hospital or doctor will approach ILBS". CM Kejriwal has issued numbers -- 1031 and 8800007722 --where people can contact for the donation of plasma to save the lives of COVID-19 patients.

What is plasma therapy?

Plasma therapy involves taking antibodies from the blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 and transfusing those into a coronavirus infected patient to help kick-start the immune system to fight the infection. Unlike blood donation, only the plasma is drawn from the blood.

As of July 2, Delhi has  59,992 recovered patients, making them prime candidates for blood plasma donations.

Who can donate plasma?

A COVID-19 infected person can only donate plasma to another COVID positive patient. However, the plasma donor has to first fully recover and must be free of all coronavirus symptoms. People between 18 to 60 years of age can donate their plasma to corona patients.

Who cannot donate plasma?

1. If someone is less than 50 kg

2. If someone has ever been pregnant

3. If someone is diabetic

4. If someone's blood pressure is more than 140 and diastolic less than 60 or more than 90

5. If someone is a  cancer survivor

6. If someone has chronic kidney/liver/lung/heart diseases

Just reviewed Delhi govt's new Plasma Bank. It is world class and modern. Donors are being taken care of very well by staff. I urge recovered Corona patients to come forward and donate their plasma. https://t.co/0yeVwCIx5H

- Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 2, 2020

In one of the recent press conferences Kejriwal had informed that Delhi's LNJP Hospital conducted plasma therapy on 35 COVID-19 patients, and of them, 34 were saved and one patient died. Similarly, 49 patients were administered the therapy in private hospitals and 46 people recovered from the deadly virus.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who had tested positive for COVID-19, was also administered the plasma therapy. He has now recovered.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh  Health Minister Narottam Mishra said that a plasma bank has also been formally started at a private hospital in Indore city. The facility has been set up by Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS), where plasma of patients who have recovered from the infection is being stored.

Besides, the Maharashtra government has also kicked off a trial for plasma therapy with the launch of 'Project Platina', which will be conducted in 17 medical colleges in the state.  Several other states, including Punjab and Kerala, are running trials to see the efficacy of plasma therapy.

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