BACOLOD City – Patients who have recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in this city are being urged to donate their blood plasma to help health authorities treat those who have the viral disease.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod recently passed a resolution requesting COVID-19 survivors for such donation and boost the city’s blood supply.
Councilor Simplicia Distrito, author of the resolution, cited studies showing that convalescent plasma, the liquid part of the blood of COVID-19 survivors, may be instrumental in treating COVID-19 patients in critical condition due to the presence of antibodies that can help boost the immune system.
“In the spirit of bayanihan” and to help in the decline of deaths that this pandemic brought upon us, this August body appeals to those who recovered from COVID-19 to donate their blood plasma through the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) and the City Health Office for proper administration,” appealed Distrito.
The lady councilor is also convincing Mayor Evelio Leonardia to grant financial assistance to probable donors.
She said the city’s Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19 through the City Health Office and the Liga ng mga Barangay will create a list of volunteers, indicating their contact numbers and addresses that can be shared with all the hospitals.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), patients who recover from a coronavirus infection typically have virus-blocking antibodies circulating in their blood in the weeks after they recover.
Those antibodies can be harvested in plasma donations and transfused to the next people who get sick, helping boost their immune systems.
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan City, China in December 2019.
To date, there is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-19. However, those affected should receive care to relieve symptoms. People with serious illness should be hospitalized. Most patients recover thanks to supportive care.
Possible vaccines and some specific drug treatments are under investigation. They are being tested through clinical trials. The WHO is coordinating efforts to develop vaccines and medicines to prevent and treat COVID-19./PN
