Orhan Yoldas
10 April 2020•Update: 10 April 2020
MALATYA, Turkey
Patients administered blood plasma from donors who overcame the novel coronavirus have partially begun to recover, a Turkish expert said on Friday.
Patients who recover from COVID-19 can help others do the same once they test negative for the coronavirus by donating their plasma -- and antibodies for patients in critical condition.
Dr. Ahmet Kizilay from Inonu University in the eastern Malatya province said a 56-year-old patient under intensive care showed no negative reaction when administered plasma in addition to other treatments.
Noting that the patient exhibited signs of partial improvement in both blood parameters and lung capacity, Kizilay said the treatment would be used on other patients for clearer results.
"Immune plasma therapy has been used successfully in viral infections such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), ebola virus, SARS and MERS," he said.
Kizilay urged coronavirus patients to donate their blood plasma after fully recovering and testing negative for the virus.
On Thursday, Turkey confirmed 96 more coronavirus-related fatalities, bringing the death toll to 908, and the total number of cases to 42,282. A total of 2,142 people have so far recovered and been discharged from hospital care.
Worldwide, the pandemic has claimed the lives of over 97,000 people and infected over 1.61 million, while more than 364,600 people have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
