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PLASMA THERAPY :A Possible treatment for coronavirus ?
Scientists and researchers are exploring various avenues to come up with medical treatments that can fight the novel coronavirus. One such treatment that's in focus right now is Convalescent Plasma Therapy.
WHAT IS CONVALESCENT PLASMA THERAPY?
The convalescent plasma therapy aims at using antibodies from the blood of a recovered Covid-19 patient to treat those critically affected by the virus. The therapy can also used to immunise those at a high risk of contracting the virus -- such as health workers, families of patients and other high-risk contact
HOW CONVALESCENT PLASMA THERAPY WORKS?
The convalescent plasma therapy uses antibodies developed within an infected person while he/she is infected with the novel coronavirus.: These antibodies are developed in a patient as part of the body's natural immune response to a foreign pathogen or in this case, the novel coronavirus. These antibodies are highly specific to the invading pathogen and so, work to eliminate the novel coronavirus from the patient's body.
In a study co-authored by Casadevall and immunologist Liise-anne Pirofski, the authors write that for effective therapy "a sufficient amount of antibody must be administered. When given to a susceptible person, this antibody will circulate in the blood, reach tissues, and provide protection against infection. Depending on the antibody amount and composition, the protection conferred by the transferred immunoglobulin [antibodies] can last from weeks to months."
