Veteran actress Nafisa Ali, who is a cancer survivor, shared the inspiring story of her niece on Instagram, revealing she just donated plasma after recovering from COVID-19. "Diya Naidu, my niece - a COVID-19 hero - is back home after donating her plasma. Looks like liquid gold. Its value is priceless as it will save lives," wrote the 63-year-old actress and requested her followers to read Diya Naidu's post, detailing her "first hand" experience of donating plasma on her page: "Please read her COVID-19 story and share the information that is first hand. It is the need of the hour. Help save lives." Bengaluru based Diya Naidu, who is a dancer and choreographer, wrote in her post that she is the "second person" in Karnataka to donate plasma. Nafisa Ali also gave a shout-out to her niece in a separate post, writing: "I am so grateful to you brave child. A COVID-19 warrior has agreed to donate her plasma to help cure other COVID-19 serious patients."
"They have just started an amazing plasma donation effort in Karnataka. The doctors are not allowed, but asked me to put this out there so here it is," she began her post by writing this on Monday, the same day she returned home after her donation.
Explaining her understanding of how donating plasma helps in faster recovery of COVID-19 patients, Nafisa Ali's niece wrote: "This method has been super effective wherever it's been tried. The blood of a COVID-19 recovered person is taken and separated into red blood cells and plasma. The plasma (in pic) which is full of antibodies is given to a critical patient. What you see here is 1/3rd of the amount they took. This was after first cycle. They do three. Basically that full bag is given to JUST ONE PATIENT. This means that the need for donors is pressing. But the process is so hopeful that it's great news. If you know people who have recovered please let them know. If they inbox me I will immediately put in them touch with the doctors concerned. Feel free to pass on my number. The red blood cells are then returned to the donor's body via the same needle so it's very safe. All needles, tubing etc is disposed of as bio hazard."
In the second part of her post, Ms Naidu reiterated that the physiological experience of donating plasma is just like that of blood donation: "There is nothing to be afraid of. The normal pain that needles bring and a bit of wooziness. I am fine now and during the procedure was given calcium to eat as blood calcium dips. The doctor has asked me to really take care of myself so I can donate again in two weeks. It took about four to five hours or so, from the moment they picked me up to return me as preliminary tests had to be done to make sure I have no renal disease or HIV etc. This time taken will reduce for sure as I was only the second person in the state to donate and they were figuring a few things out. Knowing that it could help a critical patient survive makes any pain, time, energy spent totally worth it. Please let people know that safe and successful ways are being explored and that there is hope."
"The medical team were amazing. Let's try and help them," she wrapped her post.
Meanwhile on Monday, the first COVID-19 positive doctor from Uttar Pradesh - Dr Tauseef Khan - donated plasma and made an appeal, asking more and more COVID-19 recovered people to come forward as donors. Just days ago, Delhi reported the country's first plasma therapy success when a 49-year-old man, who received treatment, was taken off ventilator support. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called for clinical trials across the country to assess plasma treatment.
