Homegrown’s Plasma Donation Drive. Register here.
Disclaimer: It is important to note that Plasma Therapy is not a primary, assured treatment for COVID-19.
India’s health authorities have allowed the use of plasma to treat severely ill patients as COVID-19 continues to claim lives. The therapy also requires the consent of patients and their families (BBC). Researchers and medical health practitioners remain divided over the efficacy of plasma therapy as a possible cure for COVID-19. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also warned against its indiscriminate use. Plasma therapy might or might not be effective depending on how early the disease is diagnosed and attended to.
#Don’tHesitateDonate
Currently, with India battling the Second Wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare infrastructure of the country is overburdened by a staggering demand for vaccines, hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, plasma, Remdesivir injections and much more. With over 2 million active COVID cases and a record number of deaths that is increasing by the day, the situation in the country right now is one of fear and trepidation. Death seems round the corner, with no signs of a sure shot cure from the disease. This has led to a lot of conjectures and trials with different types of treatment options that could possibly be effective on a case-by-case basis.
We at Homegrown, have always been upfront about bringing to the fore the many voices of our society, so that they can gain strength and visibility. In keeping with our mission to empower and give voice to those who need it, we stand in unison today with our fellow citizens in battling this deadly pandemic.
As a little gesture on our part, we have started a Plasma Donation Drive to encourage citizens to donate plasma if they have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 28 days and are without any symptoms for at least the last 14 days.
Plasma therapy has been proven to have some positive effects in curbing the symptoms of the disease if administered at an early stage.
A Little Bit About Plasma Therapy...
When your body is fighting off COVID, it develops antibodies that could help others fight it off too. Plasma therapy is a medical process that involves blood donation by recovered patients to establish antibodies in COVID positive patients to fight the infection. Anybody who has recovered from COVID within the last 28 days, has no chronic illnesses, has not been vaccinated, is between 18-60 years of age and matches with the patient as per the Plasma Compatibility Chart are eligible for donating plasma.
The Process...
The process involves a medical practitioner inserting a needle into a vein in your arm and drawing out the blood, after which the plasma is separated from the Red Blood Cells (RBCs) and other cellular components and the blood is returned to your body with sterile saline solution.
Just To Reassure You...
Plasma donation is completely safe and comes with no significant side effects. There is no weakness after donating plasma, and in most cases, you can return to your work in just over an hour. However, it needs to be done under proper medical supervision so that there are no glitches in the process.
If You Are Worried About The Pain...
It is just like that of a bee sting; the pain is not any more or less than that of getting a blood test done.
So if you have recovered from COVID-19 and have no chronic illnesses, please consider donating plasma to save a life.
Fill in this form with your name, the city you live in, your age, gender, phone number, blood group and details about your medical history if you want to donate. #Don’tHesitateDonate
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