As the proportion of patients infected with COVID-19 continues to rise in Iran, Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran is facilitating access to COVID-19 convalescent plasma for use in patients with COVID-19 infections. This is while a number of the medical staff in the hospital are among the plasma donors who have been infected and have recovered recently.
The method has been used in the past to treat diseases such as polio, and in previous outbreaks of respiratory infections similar to COVID-19.
The decision came after Ali Akbar Velayati, head of Masih Daneshvari Hospital, said they would begin to treat critically ill patients with plasma. So far, over 1,000 infected cases have been treated in the center.
The plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 may contain antibodies to the virus that causes the disease and might be effective against the infection. The plasma must be collected from recovered patients who can donate blood, have had no symptoms for 14 days, and have had negative results on COVID-19 tests.
Iran says US sanctions are targeting every aspect of its economy. This is while many world leaders have called on Washington to suspend the restrictions that have negatively impacted Iran’s efforts to curb the outbreak. Washington has so far rejected the calls.