DHA set to start treating COVID-19 patients with blood plasma this week

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is set to start using blood plasma from recovered coronavirus (COVID-19) patients to treat critical COVID-19 cases, following the UAE’s announcement that it will adopt this treatment method. The DHA will implement the treatment, known as convalescent plasma therapy, during the course of this week.  

Dr. Younis Kazim, CEO of Dubai Healthcare Corporation at the DHA, said that the DHA has introduced the protocol for convalescent plasma therapy at DHA hospitals and private hospitals in Dubai in an important step towards the treatment and prevention of the spread of COVID-19.  

He added that a number of specialised doctors from the DHA have put in place protocols for using convalescent plasma therapy based on international standards. They have also outlined rules and guidelines to specify who can make based plasma donations and who is eligible to receive this treatment.  

He added that the DHA has taken this step after international medical results found that once a person recovers from the virus, they develop antibodies that will stay in their blood to fight the same virus.  

Doctors believe the plasma of patients who have completely recovered from COVID-19 is rich in antibodies that can fight off the virus. When such plasma is injected into another person with the disease, it will recognise the virus as something to attack.

He added that the US Food and Drug Administration revealed that it was scientifically proven that the use of convalescent plasma therapy helped speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients— decreasing the number of days they spend in the hospital.

Adopting this treatment method further supports DHA’s preventive and treatment efforts to combat COVID-19 at a time when its medical cadres are working hard to provide the best treatment services to contain and treat the disease, so that people can go back to their normal lives.