DoST to study plasma treatment for Covid patients

A STUDY on the use of convalescent blood plasma as one of the modes of therapy for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) had been allowed, according to the Department of Science and Technology.

The 12-month study, conducted by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), together with the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the use of blood plasma as an “adjunctive” or supportive therapy to prevent the progression of the coronavirus disease.

The project also aims to strengthen the use of the therapy not only for Covid-19, but also for other infections among health care professionals.

The therapy works by taking blood plasma from recovered patients, which contains neutralizing antibodies and use this on a patient with severe or critical Covid-19 infection.

“Through this project, we are hoping to provide supportive treatment to Covid-19 patients to avoid worst-case scenarios... If the project proves to be successful, we can also contribute to developing a treatment that will help reduce the mortality rate of Coovid-19,” DoST-PCHRD Executive Director Jaime Montoya said in a statement.

The DoST, with the Department of Health, held trials for the use of melatonin, virgin coconut oil and the tawa-tawa plant as other possible therapies for Covid-19.

On Tuesday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the trials for the antiviral drug Avigan (favipiravir) would start next month pending approval from their ethics committee and the Food and Drug Administration.