The Ministry of Health has officially approved a new treatment method: using plasma from cured Covid-19 patients to treat those with the virus in medium to critical condition, Vietnamplus has reported.
The research was conducted by doctors and scientists from the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Vinmec Research Institute of Stemcell and Gene Technology, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion.
The recruitment call began on Aug. 3, and has since registered five volunteers, including one health worker. They will go through a screening process to test the qualification of their plasma.
Donors must be between 18 and 65 years of age, weigh over 50 kg for men and 45 kg for women, and have been discharged from the hospital for at least two weeks after their successful recovery.
Danang city – the national Covid-19 hotspot – will receive the first approved batch of plasma.
“The donation is voluntary and donors could stop donating at any time,” said Dr Van Dinh Trang of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Those who wish to donate can register directly at the hospital or through the hotline 19003228.
Currently, there is no official vaccine for coronavirus. Plasma therapy is a likely candidate for treating patients who test positive via RT-PCR testing in the country.
Vietnam has now recorded 10 Covid-19 deaths, all of which had pre-existing health issues.
The disease has infected 19 million people worldwide, taking the lives of over 700,000.
