0.42% of 3L donated plasma: FDA
IN 7 MAHA DIVISIONS City tops list with 662 units till Aug 5; experts say patients fear they might contract infection again
(6,991 deaths)
Pune (4,210 deaths) (2,957 deaths) (533 deaths) (557 deaths) (654 deaths) (611 deaths) (312 deaths) (123 deaths) (307 deaths) (206 deaths) (169 deaths) (180 deaths) (138 deaths)
MAHARASHTRA (129 deaths) (92 deaths) (134 deaths) (82 deaths) (102 deaths) (92 deaths) (44 deaths) (57 deaths) (98 deaths) (48 deaths) (50 deaths)
MUMBAI: Despite repeated appeals by the state government, till August 5, less than 1% of the three lakh recovered Covid patients from Maharashtra donated blood plasma for convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) for the patients.
Health experts said cured patients refuse to return to hospitals to donate plasma due to the fear of contracting the infection again.
Individuals infected with Sars-cov-2— the virus that causes Covid-19 – develop antibodies as part of the body’s natural immune response to the foreign pathogen. This antibody invades pathogens and works to eliminate the novel coronavirus in patients.
During CPT, these antibodies are infused into Covid-19 patients to help them fight the virus.
Till August 5, 290,343 patients have recovered in seven divisions – Konkan, Nashik, Aurangabad, Greater Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Amravati – that account for 70% cases in Maharashtra. But only 1,236 units of plasma were donated, a mere 0.42% compared to the total number of recovered patients, according to the data provided by Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, actual number of donors could be far lower, as the data provided by FDA also includes donors who have donated more than once.
“This is a new virus and people lack basic knowledge about the spread. Once they recover, they refuse to come back for donation. It is just like organ donation. Despite having lakhs of possible donors, donations are less than 1%,” said Dr TP Lahane, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
Of the seven divisions, the maximum number of donations is from Mumbai, with 662 units of plasma till August 5, of which 511 units have already been used. Mumbai is followed by Pune division, which has obtained 378 units, of which 266 have been used.
Konkan region which covers Nalasopara, Thane and Navi Mumbai that fall under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has the third highest number of Covid-19 cases among the seven. Despite this, the division has received only 34 units of plasma, even lower than Aurangabad (46), Nagpur (44) and Nashik (40) with relatively fewer cases.
Dr Behram Pardiwala, internal medicine expert, Wockhardt Hospital, who has treated 20 patients through plasma therapy, said, “I haven’t lost a single patient who has been treated
(20 deaths) (51 deaths) (21 deaths) (4 deaths) (8 deaths) (10 deaths) (2 deaths) (3 deaths) (10 deaths)
with plasma therapy. In the treatment of patients with Covid-19, timing is the most essential thing. If we can treat moderately ill patients in time with the therapy, the recovery rate can be 100%.”
Dr Pradeep Awate, state surveillance officer, said they are trying to sensitize people through several awareness programs.
“The response is better than at the beginning of the therapy (around May),” he said.
At the civic-run BYL Nair Hospital, 189 units of plasma helped treat 174 patients. The success rate of the treatment is above 95% at the hospital. At Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital, which is also known as Sion hospital, where more than 3,000 Covid-19 patients
have recovered, is lowest on the list with only 10 units.
Nanavati Hospital is the only private hospital, which has received 94 units of blood for plasma therapy, of which 93 have been used till August 5.
Dr Rinku Bhatia, heading the blood transfusion medicine department at the hospital, said, “The response has improved in the past two months. People often refuse to come forward due to several myths attached to the infection. Some people believe that donating plasma will make them weaker and affect their immunity, which is completely wrong.”
Bhatia added that due to low haemoglobin levels among women, the hospital often refuses their donation.