CONVALESCENT Plasma refers to the blood plasma of a survivor of a major viral disease like coronavirus disease 2019.
Using this to help those presently suffering from the disease works on the theory that a survivor produces antibodies that attack the virus.
These antibodies are found in the plasma, secreted by immune cells known as B lymphocytes.
By introducing the pumped up plasma, the patient is given an extra boost to survive the disease.
In the US, the market for convalescent plasma for Covid-19 survivors is heating up, spurred by the growing number of infections.
In the Philippines very little is said about it although it was mentioned by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in one of his virtual Covid addresses.
This can be attributed to the rigors of passing the screening for blood plasma donation of a Covid-19 survivor.
It’s only after two negative results after signifying interest to donate (and not from hospital records) that a volunteer donor will be accepted.
The most reliable test is the nasopharyngeal swab, which involves getting a six-inch swab up your nose to the intersection of your throat to get a sample of the gunk inside.
Dr. Ted Esguerra, who recently survived Covid-19 as PH-1827 is determined to do so.
“That is my way of fighting the virus which put me down initially,” he said through Messenger. “My form of 'revenge' against Covid is by giving my antibodies to any critically ill frontliner so that he/she will stand to fight again the unseen enemy.”
It takes one week to get the result of a nasopharyngeal swab. Thus, two swabs mean waiting for two weeks that is assuming that the prospective donor tested negative on the first. In private hospitals, one swab can cost as much as P9,000.
Doc Ted prefers the nasopharyngeal swab as against the throat swab even as the former is “nasty”.
“During my confinement days, of the six swabs being done to me (nasal and throat), I got negative results on my throat swabs except for the 5th test. My nasal swabs were all positive for Covid 19,” he said.
Both nose and throat swabs require reaching deep into the patient’s nose and throat to gather gunk, the sputum. These gunk are tested for the presence of the Coronavirus’ genes, he explained.
There’s a caveat to this: “If a person's infection isn't living in the spot where they are swabbed, their infection isn't caught at the right moment, or their sample isn't collected properly, their test could still come back negative,” he said.
“That's why if you have Covid-19 symptoms, it's best to stay home for 14 days and self-quarantine, no matter what your test results may show,” Doc Ted said.
It makes sense to ensure that you are free of the virus if your motivation is to help those suffering. Otherwise, giving a still infected plasma will defeat your philanthropic desire.
Doc Ted is just waiting for a call for his donation to push through as he received his second negative result last May 14, 2020 after the swabbing on May 12.
Doc Ted has acknowledged both conventional and Eastern medicine, particularly pranic healing, topped with barrage of prayers of friends as behind his surviving the virus.
“Stella, a seasoned writer since the days of old, connected me with the team in Davao who does also pranic healing.
I was open to such being an Oriental Medicine advocate and practicing austere medicine with an open mind, The team did a daily 'dose' of meditation and transferring healing energy to me while I was encaged in the isolation room in St. Luke’s Medical Center – BGC,” he wrote in acknowledging this healing protocol. It was this writer who reached out to Doc Ted to include him in the daily healing service.
The Pranic Healing Foundation of the Philippines and its Mindanao arm, the Mindanao Pranic Healing Training Center, are holding healing sessions daily -- either as group healing or individual healing.
Pranic healing is a modern, no touch energy healing discipline developed by Master Choa Kok Sui, a Cebuano engineer ,in the 1980s and is now in more than 150 countries.
It uses energy or life force, directed to the patient wherever the patient may be on Earth. It complements conventional medicine and addresses the root of the disease–the energies.
Those interested to seek free individual healing for Covid-19 can register at https://bit.ly/2zYpwBy.