Dubai:The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is set to start using blood plasma from recovered coronavirus (COVID-19) patients to treat critical COVID-19 cases, following the UAE’s announcement that it will adopt this treatment method. The DHA will implement the treatment, known as convalescent plasma therapy, during the course of this week.
Dr. Younis Kazim, CEO of Dubai Healthcare Corporation at the DHA, said that the DHA
has introduced the protocol for convalescent plasma therapy at DHA hospitals and
private hospitals in Dubai in an important step towards the treatment and prevention of
the spread of COVID-19.
He added that a number of specialised doctors from the DHA have put in place
protocols for using convalescent plasma therapy based on international standards. They
have also outlined rules and guidelines to specify who can make based plasma
donations and who is eligible to receive this treatment.
He added that the DHA has taken this step after international medical results found that
once a person recovers from the virus, they develop antibodies that will stay in their
blood to fight the same virus.
Doctors believe the plasma of patients who have completely recovered from COVID-19
is rich in antibodies that can fight off the virus. When such plasma is injected into
another person with the disease, it will recognise the virus as something to attack.
He added that the US Food and Drug Administration revealed that it was scientifically
proven that the use of convalescent plasma therapy helped speed the recovery of
COVID-19 patients— decreasing the number of days they spend in the hospital.
Adopting this treatment method further supports DHA’s preventive and treatment efforts
to combat COVID-19 at a time when its medical cadres are working hard to provide the
best treatment services to contain and treat the disease, so that people can go back to
their normal lives.