 |
 |
|
     |
Published
Thursday,
June 4, 2020 received trial plasma therapy By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Four patients hospitalized in the Specialized Patient Care Center with Covid-19, known as the Covid Hospital, have already received plasma from recovered patients therapy, announced the Social Security on Wednesday. The first patient that received the therapy was a 37-year-old woman. She left the hospital on Wednesday as she was in full recovery. The most recent three patients are men aged 64, 55 and 20-years-old. They started the treatment between Saturday and Monday. Of these patients, two presented a good evolution before treatment. However, one continues with a more delicate health condition. The two doses of treatment therapy is applied only to patients hospitalized for covid-19. Antibodies obtained from a recovered patient act as a barrier against the virus, helping the infected patient to recover, said Sebastián Molina-Ulloa, microbiologist at the National Blood Bank. The immunoglobulins, or so-called antibodies, are vital proteins that perform a wide variety of functions and influence the balance of the immune system and are found in people's plasma, Molina said. Plasma is used as a treatment for infected patients who are considered in severe or critical condition, with less than 14 days of being admitted to the hospital and who meet the criteria to receive the treatment, reported Social Security. Each patient that requires it, will receive a plasma application in two doses equivalent to a bag of 200 milliliters each, applied 24 hours between each dosage. Antibodies that can be transfused through plasma will have a temporary permanence in patients and will decrease as it works in the body until they disappear, which is why plasma is a treatment and not a cure against the virus, said Molina. Since the first week of May, plasma donations from recovered covid-19 patients have been made at the National Blood Bank. The plasma collection and processing process is carried out by specialists in microbiology, doctors, pharmacists, scientists and representatives of the Ministry of Health. According to the Ministry of Security report, by Wednesday 628 patients have recovered. And authorities confirmed that 56 donors had been treated as of Monday, which allowed them to collect 84 units of 200 milliliters each. Recovered patients have the option to refuse to donate their blood. Those that donate their blood undergo a pre-approval process to be sure that their blood meets the requirements to be donated.  According to the criteria defined by the Ministry of Health, donors must: be between the ages of 18 to 65, weigh over 50 kilos, in good health, have been previously diagnosed with the virus, have completely recovered a post-mandatory 14-day quarantine and be symptom-free. In addition to the National Blood Bank, Social Security enabled donation reception rooms in three hospitals in the San José Province: Hospital San Juan de Dios, Hospital México and Hospital Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia. According to the microbiologist Molina, once they had enough plasma, they sent the substance to the Clodomiro Picado Research Institute to start the process for obtaining antibodies. Once there, they continue its process of producing a treatment serum against covid-19 disease. Researchers need more plasma from recovered covid-19 patients. Workers of the National Blood Bank are calling all those people with more than 14 days of having recovered to request the donation. ------------------------ Should health authorities order all recovered covid-19 patients to donate blood to speed up the process of producing the treatment? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
