Cops who recovered from COVID-19 donate convalescent plasma

Cops from Central Visayas participate in a blood donation drive on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at the PRO-7 headquarters. CDN Digital photo | Pegeen Maisie Sararaña

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 100 cops from Central Visayas who have recovered from COVID-19 donated their convalescent plasma for the public to avail for free. 

These policemen already voluntarily donated their blood on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO-7) headquarters.

Convalescent plasma therapy is based on a 2oth century therapeutic tool generally pooled under passive immunization, by which antigens and antibodies are taken from a donor organism to be injected into an ill organism to combat a disease the donor has successfully recovered from.

On the other hand, plasma exchange or plasmapheresis is often a treatment for autoimmune disease and works by replacing the person’s blood plasma with that of a donor’s.

The combination of two treatment is a new technique for fighting COVID-19. It involves removing the plasma from a currently infected patient and then be replaced with plasma from donors -or individuals who have successfully recovered from COVID-19.

Read: Convalescent blood plasma cited for recovery of 429 COVID-19 patients

Regional Health Service Chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Marylou Aboloc said that this is the 11th time that they are conducting blood letting and plasma donation since the start of pandemic in Central Visayas. 

Read: PRO-7 director commends cops’ sacrifice as blood and plasma donors

This activity is done in partnership with the Department of Health in Region 7 (DOH-7), Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 

DOH-7 chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, said that this donation drive of the PRO-7 is a great help in their COVID-19 response. 

Read: Newly developed treatment for COVID-19 unveiled in Cebu

She clarified that today’s activity does not only focus on getting convalescent plasma. For those who are not donors of convalescent plasma, their IGG levels will be checked because some do not know that they are already exposed and developed anti-bodies against the virus. 

Loreche said the public can avail of the plasma for free. However, this follows a process. If patients need convalescent plasma, their request should be prescribed by a doctor. 

/bmjo