Cuba also applies hyperimmune plasma therapy to fight COVID-19
HAVANA, Cuba, May 21 (ACN) Hyperimmune plasma therapy is one of Cuba’s efforts to confront COVID-19, Francisco Duran, national director of epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP by its Spanish acronym), said this Thursday.
The director told a press conference that so far, 16 blood plasma draws have been made from patients who have recovered from the infectious disease, since the aim is to ensure that their psychological and physical condition is adequate.
He explained the collection has always been done 21 days after the patients have recovered, and so far 14 people have received the benefit of this treatment.
It has been used on patients in serious condition and has received a favorable response, which shows that Cuba is introducing and innovating with scientific advances, the scientist continued.
This option has been used on other occasions in the country, and is based on the idea that the antibodies to fight a certain disease are in the blood, since when it comes into contact with foreign agents the immune system produces antibodies to defend it, the expert emphasized.
Duran argued that after the disease is over, there is always a level of antibodies left in the blood of those affected, adding that for the moment it has not been clarified how many antibodies there are against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, after suffering the disease, because the time of evolution is very short and it is not yet known if these protect for life or only for a while.
Abel González Alayón
Chief-Editor Language Department
Cuban News Agency
