Eikjman Calls Convalescent Plasma Therapy A Hope For Handling COVID-19

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology conducted a study with the Army Central Hospital (RSPAD) Gatot Soebroto and PT Biofarma. The results of this study then called convalescent plasma therapy (TPK) to be one of the hopes for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Amid the uncertainty of treatment for COVID-19, TPK has emerged as a hope for the treatment of this disease," as quoted from their official Instagram @eikjmaninstitute on Monday, July 5.

In a study entitled Convalescent Plasma Therapy in Patients With Moderate-to-Sever COVID-19: A study from Indonesia for clinical research in low-and-middle-income countries, LBM Eijkman together with two other institutions explained the safety and potential of TPK to treat COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, this study has been published in the scientific journal Lancet EClinical Medicine.

Eijkman said convalescent plasma from someone who recovered from COVID-19 was separated using a technique called Plasmapheresis. Plasma is what provides passive immunity to patients who are exposed to the virus.

"With the additional antibodies specific to the SARS-CoV2 virus, the body then gets extra ammunition to fight the virus," they said.

In the process, Eijkman recruited 11 plasma donors and 10 patients who were exposed to COVID-19. Researchers then noted changes in various biological markers such as the number of viruses.

Not only that, the concentration of C-Reactive Protein and the number of neutralizing antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus also became the researchers' attention for four weeks. "There is a downward trend in the number of viruses after patients infected with COVID-19 are given convalescent plasma," the Instagram account wrote.

From this study, convalescent plasma therapy can be given because it shows safety and potential effectiveness. In addition, the results of this study are expected to increase the role of the community in the implementation and use of TPK in a wider scope.

However, this therapy should be given to COVID-19 patients at an early or early stage.

"The provision of TPK should be carried out in the early stages of COVID-19 before the disease progresses further to the next stage," wrote Eijkman.