Now, KGMU pins hope on asymptomatic donors

Antibody test was conducted to check if the person ever had Covid-19 infection and whether she or he recovered as an asymptomatic patient

LUCKNOW:: King George’s Medical University (KGMU) has started obtaining plasma from asymptomatic people for transfusion to Covid-19 patients who are in hospital. Although these donors have developed antibodies for the Sars-Cov-2 virus, they have never tested positive for the Covid-19 infection earlier. Nor have they been hospitalized.

The medical university is understood to be the first institute in UP resort to this method. It had earlier given the plasma of cured patients to infected patients.

Prof Tulika Chandra, head of the department of transfusion medicine at King George’s Medical University (KGMU)here, said, “We took plasma from five people after antibodies (for the virus) were found. Their antibody levels were good enough. Their plasma can be transfused to the admitted Covid-19 patients. They never tested positive (for the coronavirus infection earlier), neither were they admitted for Covid-19 treatment.”

In plasma therapy, the immunity (antibodies) developed by a recovered patient is given to Covid-19 patients.

Out of the five asymptomatic plasma donors, the antibody level in three was higher than the normal range. For the two others, the level was within the range.

Antibody test was conducted to check if the person ever had Covid-19 infection and whether she or he recovered as an asymptomatic patient.

Till now, 59 plasma donations have been done, which includes five by asymptomatic people and the remaining by cured Covid-19 patients, who were admitted in hospital and then discharged.

“Hopefully, as the second option of getting plasma from asymptomatic people is open now, donations will go up manifold in a few days and we shall be able to help more patients in the state,” said Prof Chandra.

She said efforts will be made to get plasma donation from regular voluntary blood donors if they had antibodies for the coronavirus.

For this, blood donors will be tested for antibodies. If antibodies are found, they will be motivated to go for plasma donation.

“They are coming for donation themselves. Hopefully, they will agree to donate plasma instead of whole blood. This will be done at the same blood bank. So, it will hardly make a difference to the donors,” said Prof Chandra.

“But certainly this will increase the stock of plasma with antibodies manifold,” she said.