Mexico’s IMSS calls for COVID-19 plasma donors

The Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS) asked people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma at the blood banks in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara to help transfer antibodies to those fighting the new disease.

Those eligible to donate plasma have recovered from the SARS-CoV-2 virus; plasma donation is an experimental treatment that can help patients with serious cases of the disease.

To date, the infection that causes COVID-19 does not have a specific treatment.

“Due to transfusion security, family, replacement, or directed donations are avoided to obtain the plasma, this means that it’s not a kind of transfusion in which a person donates blood or components that can be reserved to transfuse to a specific patient in a later date,” said the IMSS.

In order to participate, the donation must be voluntary, free from coercion, and unpaid.

Moreover, people must comply with the following requirements: In addition to having recovered from the disease within 14 days after the symptoms have subsided, to be between 18 and 65 years old, a PCR test for COVID-19 that tests negative within 14 days after the symptoms have subsided; women with no antecedents of pregnancies that comply with the criteria of safe blood donations established by NOM 253.

So far, 113 patients who recovered from COVID-19 have gone to the IMSS Blood Banks to donate plasma.

Since COVID-19 does not have a specific treatment, this protocol is performed in addition to the medical care provided at hospitalization areas and intensive care units at the IMSS medical facilities.

Source: El Universal

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