VIJAYAWADA: The State Health department has permitted the blood banks at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati, and Government General Hospital, Kurnool, to collect and store convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients as short clinical trials in some countries showed that plasma therapy is effective in treating moderate to severely ill coronavirus patients. 

This will be done as part of the fight against the pandemic as the plasma, if correctly stored, will have a shelf life of one year, according to Special Chief Secretary (health) KS Jawahar Reddy. “The lgG antibody titres are at high-level after the 14th day of infection and gradually come down making the Convalescent plasma ineffective to treat COVID-19 patients (if collection is delayed),” he said. 

“The blood blanks located at SIVMS, Tirupati, and GGH, Kurnool, already have permission for plasmapheresis. Frozen convalescent plasma can be stored at -400 C and shelf life is one year. After careful examination of the above facts, both the said blood banks are permitted to collect and store Convalescent Plasma from recovered COVID patients duly following standard procedures ,” Jawahar Reddy said in an order.