People who have overcome COVID-19 and who have already received the first dose of the vaccine against that disease can donate hyperimmune plasma. This fluid contains a higher antibody load than convalescent plasma that has previously been collected to support critically ill people.
The collection of this type of plasma has begun in the plasma bank of the Benjamin Bloom National Children’s Hospital. According to Jaime Alfaro, coordinator of the collection program, there have been favorable results.
“It is known as hyperimmune plasma because the patient no longer has the convalescent condition, but is exposed for the second time to the virus through the vaccine, and these plasmas contain beneficial antibodies because the concentration of antibodies is higher”, indicated Alfaro .
He explained that everyone who suffered from the disease and received the vaccine can approach the Bloom hospital two weeks later to donate this type of plasma, which is already being applied to hospitalized patients whose health condition requires it.
Those who have already received both doses of the vaccine can also go to the medical center to become donors. “We have already done the tests here, at the Bloom hospital, with those who recovered and were convalescent donors, from whom we have previous results, and who have already been vaccinated. We have done studies on them and the antibodies have doubled, and in some donor clinical pictures they have tripled. We already obtained hyperimmune plasma, it was distributed and it is giving good results, “he said.
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?
Alfaro explained that there is memory immunity, which is created during the first exposure that the person had to the virus, and this is reinforced by receiving the vaccine against COVID-19, which generates a greater amount of antibodies, hence where hyperimmune plasma arises.
«There is an immunological memory. When the patient confronts the virus again through the vaccine, antibodies are generated again in a greater proportion. The primary immune response is when the patient has exposure to the virus by disease or vaccine, and the response is less; but the secondary answer [después de la vacuna], when there is already a previous exposure, the body already knows the virus, the memory B lymphocytes are activated and the antibody concentration is higher in a shorter period of time, “he explained.
Víctor Campos, who suffered from COVID-19 months ago and received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 16, recently donated hyperimmune plasma and said he is satisfied that he can contribute to improving the health of other people through this action.
“There were many people in need of plasma, and with pleasure I approached the donation, and seeing the need for a co-worker that the father needed plasma, I came to donate. The call I make to people who have already recovered and have received the vaccine is to come and donate. Anyone who has the possibility to donate to come; we all need or may need in the future, “said Victor.
He added that this was the seventh time he donated plasma: he had previously donated convalescent fluid, and this time he was hyperimmune. “Plasma becomes a hope to overcome this situation, you just have to convince people who already had the disease and were vaccinated to come and donate,” urged Alfaro.
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