SANBS urges Covid-19 survivors to donate convalescent plasma

Published Jun 25, 2020

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CAPE TOWN- The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) have started exploring ways to use convalescent plasma therapy for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

As the country celebrates National Blood Donor Month in June, calls for blood donations have been made for those who have made a full recovery from the coronavirus disease.

SANBS is participating in the collection of convalescent plasma for a national trial.

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Convalescent plasma therapy is currently in phase 2 of the clinical trials and while it has not been proven to cure the disease, it is likely to boost a patients’ ability to fight it.

This experimental treatment collects blood from those who have recovered from Covid-19 and have the antibodies the body uses to fight off infections.

SANBS recommends that people who have been symptom-free for 28 days do not require additional virus testing before donating.

A convalescent plasma donation is the same as a standard blood donation, the key difference being the need for a specific type of donor, one who has already fully recovered from the disease.

This treatment also might help keep people who are moderately ill from becoming more ill and experiencing further Covid-19 complications.

The use of convalescent plasma to treat an illness was used as a treatment for patients during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak.

Donors who meet these requirements are encouraged to join our online registry. Contact Cynthia Nyoni 0825539042/0117619279 for more information.

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