Renowned haematologist Dr Tahir Shamsi on Wednesday said that 14 coronavirus patients initially infused plasma had no side effects reported of the therapy. Dr Shamsi, who had proposed the treatment of coronavirus patients through passive immunisation, has said that from 14 patients given plasma therapy, 12 were not required any ventilator support. Talking to media, Dr. Tahir Shamsi asked the patients recovered from COVID-19, to come forward and donate their plasma for help to other patients. He apprehended increase in cases of coronavirus after Eid ul Fitr and during the month of June. Dr. Shamsi in an earlier talk with media, said that the recovered patients are coming in minimal numbers, to donate their blood plasma, which is required to save the patients. He assured that plasma donation to Covid-19 patient was safe and secure procedure as the donor has to undergo multiple checks before donating their blood plasma. Dr Shamsi said that plasma donation was so safe that a person who had donate his or her plasma earlier could again donate it after three weeks without feeling any weakness. It is to be mentioned here that a patient, a 64-year-old woman, recently recovered from coronavirus after receiving plasma therapy in Hyderabad. According to Civil Hospital Hyderabad officials, the 64-year-old female patient underwent the passive immunization process and showed signs of recovery soon after it. She completely recovered from the virus and has tested negative for the infection four days after the plasma therapy. Sindh Health Minister Azra Fazl Pechuho in a statement earlier said that passive immunization has yielded positive results. She said that plasma therapy has proved effective as three patients recovered within nine days from Covid-19 after undergoing treatment using the process. “Five more patients are recovering from the virus,” she said. She said that clinical trials of the process is being carried out under the supervision of Blood Transfusion Authority. It is pertinent to mention here that plasma therapy for the treatment of coronavirus patients initiated at the hospitals on May 10 after the government allowed to carry out clinical trials of passive immunisation process.
