Even as the country reels under the shortage of oxygen, plasma, and other resources needed to treat Covid-19 patients, a woman on Twitter seems to have managed to find a plasma donor for her friend from the dating app Tinder. Taking to the microblogging site on Tuesday, Twitter user Sohini Chattopadhyay wrote, “We found a plasma match for our friend through Tinder”. Chattopadhyay went on to add, “Dating app 1, govt 0”.
Chattopadhyay, whose 30-year-old friend had contracted Covid-19, had been searching for plasma donors on multiple platforms including hospitals and police helplines. But none of the efforts bore fruit. It was only when she was casually using Tinder when she found a donor. The Covid-positive friend had shared her condition and needs on her Tinder bio and soon, she and Chattopadhyay found a “dude” who was formerly Covid-positive and had written the same in his bio. The duo connected with him on the dating app and managed to get the required plasma.
Calling it “something nice that happened in weird times” in subsequent tweets, Chattopadhyay explained that though they were not actively looking for plasma donors on the dating site, it was pleasant to find someone who volunteered to donate plasma on Tinder. According to Chattopadhyay, her friend has been recovering and would not need any more plasma donations.
The Twitter user also added that many users on Tinder “are ready to put plasma donation call on their dating app bio”.
While Chattopadhyay managed to find success looking for plasma donors on Tinder, not many have had the same luck. Patients across several places such as Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra have been facing a shortage of plasma. In the past week, thousands of messages seeking plasma donations has flooded social media platforms. Last Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed the issue of plasma shortage and said that the efficacy of plasma depended on the number of antibodies present in it. Plasma taken from a person who recovered from Covid-19 a long time ago may not be effective, Kejriwal had said.
Plasma therapy involves using plasma from patients who have recovered from Covid-19 to treat patients currently suffering from the disease. The antibody-rich plasma can help treat the infection in positive patients.
Meanwhile, Wednesday saw another new record when the country racked up 2,95,041 new cases, with no sign that the surge is abating. India reported 2,95,041 fresh cases, 2023 new deaths, 1.26 lakh rise in active cases, 1.67 lakh new recoveries. Wednesday became the seventh straight day when the country recorded over two lakh new cases.
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