UHS raises concern over plasma treatment for Covid-19 patients

LAHORE: The University of Health and Science (UHS) on Thursday raised serious concerns over the plasma immunisation to treat coronavirus patients, ARY News reported.

UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Javed Akram said that plasma therapy could lead to life-threatening complications and can cause heart failure. He said that UHS has started working on developing synthetic antibodies, another treatment for Covid-19 patients.

An agreement has been signed between the University of Lahore and University of Health and Science (UHS) to develop synthetic antibodies, he added.

“A team of researchers is developing a synthetic antibody to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This antibody is intended to block the virus from entering human lung cells,” added the UHS professor.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had allowed clinical trials of blood plasma therapy to treat coronavirus patients in the country.

Plasma, the fluid in blood teeming with antibodies post-illness, has already proven effective in small studies to treat infectious diseases including Ebola and SARS.

Many COVID-19 patients in Pakistan have recovered from the plasma immunisation.

Dr Shamsi, who had proposed the treatment of coronavirus patients through passive immunisation, had termed plasma donation to COVID-19 patient as a safe and secure procedure.

It must be noted that the plasma immunisation is being used in many countries by using blood donated by recovered patients for introducing anti-bodies in those COVID-19 patients receiving treatment.

The therapy can also be used to immunise the people at high risk of contracting the virus including health professionals, families of patients and others.

The plasma immunisation procedure was also approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA).