The National Blood Centre, the Thai Red Cross Society, invites recovered COVID-19 patients to register themselves to donate their plasma to help new COVID-19 patients battling with the virus. Assoc. Prof. Dootchai Chaiwanichsiri, M.D., Director of the National Blood Centre, the Thai Red Cross Society, mentioned that the plasma of the recovered patients contains antibodies against the coronavirus. The potential plasma “Covid-19 Convalescent Plasma,” or CCP, is believed to curb symptoms and effects caused by the virus. After the plasma campaign was released in April last year, over 400 people registered to donate their plasma, while only 152 were able to donate, producing 383 bags of viable COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP).
In addition, Prof. Yong Poovorawan, M.D., Head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, stated that parallel to COVID-19 vaccination efforts, the CCP is an alternative treatment for infected patients under alternative state quarantine. The CCP was tested with a foreigner infected with COVID-19 who had severe pneumonia symptoms. The patient saw her/his condition improved after receiving CCP. So far, five hospitals have used the CCP from the Thai Red Cross National Blood Centre to treat nine patients; six of whom recovered, two are still receiving treatment, and one died. Moreover, the serum; COVID-19 Intramuscular Immunoglobulin (CIMIG) is now in clinical trial with ten volunteers. They are now being assessed for the level of immunity developed and side effects.
If you have recovered from COVID–19 and wish to be considered for plasma donation, please visit an official Facebook fan page of the National Blood Centre at https://www.facebook.com/nbctrc/ for pre-registration
For more information, please contact the National Blood Centre at Tel. +66 2256 4300 during official working hours.
