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Due to the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, a large number of patients, blood donation stations are again running low on plasma from people who have contracted COVID-19, which is why, for example, the Regional Center for Blood Donation and Blood Treatment in Białystok renewed its call for plasma donation. Plasma is used in the treatment of some infected patients.
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In December 2020, prof. Piotr Radziwon, director of the Białystok blood donation station, a national consultant in the field of clinical transfusion, informed that plasma supplies had been accumulated. Now the situation has changed.
– Stocks appeared after the end of the second wave of the pandemic. At that time, both the number of sick people and the amount of plasma consumed gradually decreased to very low amounts, and in this way we managed to accumulate some reserve. On the other hand, as we know, the third wave is worse than the second one and this is reflected in the plasma consumption. The orders started to grow rapidly again and the large stock that we had had been used up, we are already working at the moment – you can say on a regular basis. That is why we appeal to those who have already recovered and have a lot of antibodies to come to us and donate plasma, because it may soon be missing – told PAP Prof. Piotr Radziwon.
He added that, for example, the station in Białystok gives hospitals about 40-50 units of plasma a day, and more or less the same amount can be obtained from people who want to donate them. – But this situation is very unstable, and we do not have a stock anymore, so we are afraid that the plasma will run out at some point – added Radziwon.
All over Poland, convalescents have so far given over 48. plasma donation, of which 3 thousand. 250 in Podlasie (fifth place in this respect in Poland). This allowed to provide patients all over the country with over 62,2 thousand. plasma units, of which in the region 4 thous. 150 – informed the director of the Białystok RCKiK. He reminded that during donation it is possible to obtain a different number of plasma units, sometimes they are three units, sometimes one.
Professor Radziwon points out that there are “big jumps” in plasma consumption, the demand for them is growing very quickly, and the stocks after the second wave did not anticipate that the third wave of the pandemic would be so large-scale, hence the exhaustion of these stocks. – The situation is similar in many centers (blood donation) in Poland – he added.
Plasma of convalescents – how effective is it?
There are various discussions about the effectiveness of using plasma in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Prof. Radziwon says that observations show that plasma can be and is effective when administered early in the disease, and must also contain a lot of antibodies.
– In contrast, the administration of plasma in the later stages of the disease is largely a failure for two reasons. First, the development of the COVID-19 disease is such that in the later stages, the problem is no longer the virus itself, but the effects it has caused and the administration of virus antibodies will not be effective at this point, says Radziwon. He also adds that in the late phase of the disease, the patient also has antibodies that he produced himself, so it is difficult to judge to what extent the plasma administered was effective. He reminds that experts indicate that plasma can be administered when symptoms of coronavirus infection in a patient last no longer than a week.
– If we are to believe in plasma, it should be given quickly – summed up Radziwon.
Author: Izabela Próchnicka / PAP
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