Convalescent plasma, a plasma with a higher content of anti-covid-19 antibodies, is, in addition to remdesivir or oxygen therapy, a way to save the lives of covid patients. In recent weeks, hospitals across the Czech Republic have been calling for plasma donors who have recently undergone covid-19. The call was also heard by a 23-year-old student, Vítězslav Dušek, who arrived at the Brno University Hospital on Thursday morning. “I got sick about a month ago, I got infected from another member of the household. I had a fairly mild course of treatment and almost no symptoms, “said Dušek. Donate plasma came for the first time. “I have known for a long time that this plasma is used to treat various courses of covid-19. At the same time, I also saw the call of the University Hospital in Brno that they are looking for those who have already recovered from the disease. I didn’t hesitate and got involved, “said the student.
–
Like Dušek, other donors responded to the hospital’s call. But there are few of them. “About 50 donors will come in a week. But only about twenty percent of them are people who have the right amount of antibodies. That is relatively small, “said Hana Lejdarová, Head of the Transfusion and Tissue Department of the Brno University Hospital. Not everyone who has had covid-19 has enough antibodies in their blood to use their plasma as a convalescent patient.
–
Donated plasma can help a patient infected with covid-19 to increase the number of antibodies in the blood against the disease. “Patients should receive convalescent plasma as soon as possible. Already in the beginning of the disease. Above all, it should be given to patients who have a system other than the lungs, “said Petr Husa, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Brno University Hospital. In the beginning, the virus multiplies and is present in the blood. “At this point, the patient will be helped by remdesivir, which blocks the virus from multiplying. At this stage, however, the patient should also be given convalescent plasma, which exports and neutralizes the already created virus, “added Husa. Each covid patient should ideally receive two transfusion units of this plasma. “At the moment, when we don’t have the right medicine, this plasma is just an experiment. According to the data available to us, however, it seems that the attempt is also successful, which is why we went to these samples, “said Lejdarová.
–
According to the primary, anyone who has been through the disease can donate plasma. It doesn’t matter how strong the course of the disease was. “We have people with high levels of antibodies among the donors, who had a very mild course of the disease and vice versa,” said the headmistress. All you have to do is come to the Transfusion and Tissue Department at the Brno University Hospital. There, the donor fills in the form, has to prove that he was recently positive, and then the nurses take over. “The donor does not have to go twice, ie once to check whether he is a suitable donor, and then to the collection itself, we collect plasma immediately. It takes about 45 minutes. Only after collection do we find out whether a person is a suitable donor of convalescent plasma. It is more efficient for us, “added Lejdarová. If the donor is not suitable for convalescent plasma, it will be used as a classic plasma. “For example, it will be used by cancer patients,” said the headmistress.
–
According to the doctor, the ideal donor is a man between the ages of 18 and 60 who is currently in a satisfactory state of health after undergoing covid-19 or after quarantine has ended. Women are usually not a suitable donor and clinical donations are not made for them. “Pregnancy is always necessary for women. This is generally associated with the production of antibodies to HLA markers. These antibodies are a problem in transfusion, “added the headmistress. A person can donate several times in a row if he still has enough antibodies. “After only 14 days, the donor can come again. It depends on each individual how long the antibodies last. I know of a woman who fell ill in the spring and has still had antibodies, “said Lejdarová.
–
According to her, in South Moravia there is currently far more interest in convalescent plasma from clinical experts than during the first wave in the spring. “Currently, all nearby hospitals are in demand. We have large storage capacities for plasma. That is why we want to be able to help not only the Brno University Hospital as soon as possible, but also other hospitals, “said the headmistress.
–
At the University Hospital Brno, they have been collecting plasma only since the beginning of October. They are therefore happy for every patient. “Convalescent plasma is needed a lot. But we cannot expect the first thing a healed person will think of will be plasma donation. These people underwent covid and had a lot of trouble with it. They could also have different courses and can now solve existential problems. But we will definitely appreciate it when the interest in plasma donation is higher. Thanks to this, the success of the produced convalescent reptiles and probably also the cured patients will increase, “said Lejdarová.
–
According to Vítězslav Dušek, plasma collection is not something that anyone should be afraid of. “It was nothing, it just stabbed and then you just lie down and rest,” Dušek described. He is determined to come again if he is a suitable donor. “Then you feel good about yourself, so be sure to everyone, come and donate,” the student tells other potential donors.
—
