Following their discharge from hospitals, a number of persons who have recovered from COVID-19 have volunteered to donate plasma to help other patients in need.
Among these volunteers is 37-year-old M.A. Mohammed Usman Ali, a resident of Theni. He is currently under home quarantine, nearly a month after returning from New Delhi, where he had attended a conference conducted by Tablighi Jamaat. He was discharged from the Government Theni Medical College Hospital on April 15, after being hospitalised for 16 days for treatment of the disease.
“I heard about plasma therapy from a few doctors. They said that those who recover from COVID-19 will develop antibodies. We [patients who have recovered] are discharged after testing negative for COVID-19 twice. I am ready to donate plasma if asked to do so. We are ready to support the government in this [endeavour]. It is important to help people,” he said.
A volunteer said that some patients had, during telephonic counselling sessions to allay fears about COVID-19, expressed their willingness to donate plasma. The State is taking up trials of convalescent plasma therapy for critically-ill patients, which involves the collection and transfusion of plasma from persons who have recovered from the disease.
M. Mohammed Abbas, 38, who had returned from the Delhi conference on March 25, said he was hospitalised at the Coimbatore ESI Medical College Hospital and discharged on April 20. “The hospital dean and the Sub-Collector spoke to us, while we were being discharged from the hospital, about the trials for plasma therapy. I am definitely ready to donate blood if it will benefit another patient. Many who were discharged along with me have also expressed their willingness to do the same,” he said. A native of Tiruppur, the 38-year-old said he had no symptoms of COVID-19 but got himself checked after the government appealed to all attendees of the Delhi event to come forward.
Authorities of a government hospital in Chennai said that they had informed discharged patients about the plasma therapy. “We informed them that we would contact them later. They can donate plasma for other patients if they are willing to do so,” a senior doctor said.
As of April 22, 662 persons were discharged from hospitals across the State.