Egypt tries plasma treatment to fight COVID-19 pandemic

The technique was proven effective in small studies to treat other infectious diseases

Published: September 09, 2020 06:54 Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor with inputs from AFP

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Egypt, like the United States and a handful of other countries, is trying to fight the pandemic in part by using convalescent plasma, the watery fluid in the blood of recovered patients that is teeming with antibodies. Image Credit: AFP

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The idea is to harvest the plasma and inject it into other patients to give them an immunological boost that helps fight the same infection. Image Credit: AFP

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The scientific community is divided on using plasma to treat Covid-19, but proponents say the technique has proven effective in small studies to treat other infectious diseases, including Ebola and SARS. Image Credit: AFP

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Nascent clinical plasma trials to fight the new pandemic have also been launched in Bolivia, Britain, Colombia, India, Mexico, Pakistan and South Korea. Image Credit: AFP

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Ihab Serageldin, director of Egypt's National Blood Transfusion Centre, said he believes convalescent plasma is a promising treatment while the race continues to develop, mass-produce and distribute an effective vaccine. Image Credit: AFP

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Serageldin said there was no data yet on the success rate of Egypt's plasma project. Image Credit: AFP

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Over 200 people have so far donated plasma, each providing 800 ml of the fluid split into four bags, which are given to two patients at a time. Image Credit: AFP

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In June, local media reported that plasma bags from recovered patients were being informally traded for over 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,200) each. Image Credit: AFP

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An Egyptian man who recovered from Covid-19 donates blood at the National Blood Transfusion centre in Cairo. Image Credit: AFP

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While one parliamentarian called for criminalising the practice, Egypt's foremost Muslim institution Al-Azhar ruled that it was not permissible under Islamic law to trade plasma informally and lambasted those "profiting from the pandemic". Image Credit: AFP

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Egypt tries plasma treatment to fight COVID-19 pandemic

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Egypt tries plasma treatment to fight COVID-19 pandemic

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