COVID-19 treatment: Male plasma contains more antibodies than that of female

Experts say men who have had coronavirus could play greater role in saving lives because their plasma contains higher levels of antibodies. Read to know more about this plasma therapy which is used for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Plasma therapy is being used in many countries, including India, for the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients. In this medical procedure, plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients are transfused into other patients. Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood that is rich in antibodies, which are produced by your immune cells to fight infections. Plasma therapy has been found to improve recovery in many coronavirus patients. Seeing this positive result, COVID-19 survivors are being urged to donate plasma to be used in treatment of other critically ill patients. Now, experts say men who have had coronavirus could play greater role in saving lives. This is because their plasma contains higher levels of antibodies. According to researchers, men are more likely to become seriously ill from coronavirus infection and thus produce more antibodies than women.

NHS Blood and Transplant, an executive non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom's Department of Health and Social Care, reportedly received plasma from nearly 600 COVID-19 survivors between April and mid-May. Of the donations from men, 43% had high enough levels of antibodies to be used in trials, compared with just 29% of those from women, one of the UK's leading news channel reported.

Antibody levels were also found higher in older patients, Asian patients and those who had been treated in hospital for Covid-19.

Plasma therapy and COVID-19

Plasma therapy is not recommended outside of clinical trials, as per the ICMR guidelines. The centre had also noted that there is no concrete evidence to support plasma therapy as coronavirus treatment. But there have many reports of COVID-19 patients getting cured after being given this therapy. The latest in the list is Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Jain is under observation at Max Hospital in Saket, Delhi. On Sunday, hospital sources informed media persons that his condition is improving after he was administered plasma therapy. According to them, his fever has subsided, and oxygen level has improved.

Who can become a plasma donor?

The donors should be COVID-19 patients, who has recovered from the condition, especially those whose blood is rich in antibodies for that pathogen. The potential donor has to be declared as cured and should be tested negative for the virus at least 14 days before donating the plasma. He/she should be asymptomatic for at least 28 days to become a donor. The donor should be between 18 to 65 years. Those who suffer from any transmissible disease are not qualified to become a plasma donor. A donor can give 400ml of plasma, which can save two lives.

Plasma donation is not the same as donating blood. Here the plasma is separated from the blood as you donate, and the rest is returned to the donor. The process is safe and takes about 45 minutes, that is a few minutes longer than whole blood donation. The body usually replaces the donated plasma within 48 hours. The donated plasma should be frozen within 24 hours of being donated to preserve its valuable clotting factors. It can be stored for up to one year and melted for transfusion when needed.