Plasma therapy is being touted as one of the methods of treatment of COVID-19. (Representational)
If someone's life can be saved by plasma donation, then we must do it, said Anuj Sharma who donated plasma to help patients with coronavirus in Delhi.
Plasma therapy, which is being touted as one of the methods of treatment of the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus, involves the transfusion of plasma from a convalescent coronavirus patient to a critical patient. The blood of a recovering patient is rich in antibodies produced by the body to fight the virus, which are expected to help the critical patient recover.
Plasma therapy trials are going on in the national capital, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said they are seeing encouraging results.
Mr Sharma returned to Delhi from Europe on March 20. On March 29, he underwent a test for coronavirus which came out to be positive, after which he was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital in the city.
He recovered on April 15. His wife and son have also tested positive for the coronavirus.
Mr Sharma said that the idea of plasma donation came from his wife, who was advised about it by a medical doctor.
On his marriage anniversary on April 25, Mr Sharma said, he donated the plasma.
"Within 45 minutes plasma donation was done. If someone's life can be saved by plasma donation, then we must do it," he added.
"I think that everybody should help in this initiative. If we are successful, we will win strongly over coronavirus and will do a great job for the society," he said.
Earlier this week, 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.