Private hospitals in Oman begin plasma therapy for Covid-19

Muscat: In a boost to the fight against coronavirus in the Sultanate, plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients has begun in the private sector.
Burjeel Hospital Al Khuwair, has taken a major step by becoming the first private hospital to offer the therapy in Oman.
The therapy involves taking antibodies from the plasma of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 and transfusing those antibodies into an active coronavirus patient to help the immune system fight the infection.
Plasma therapy has already been under trial as a treatment for COVID-19, with patients in various parts of the world and is showing positive results.
Announcing the initiative of starting CP treatment in Burjeel Hospital, Dr. Mohammed Zuhair specialist – Internal Medicine Said, “Indeed, it is an important therapeutic option that supports the patient’s defense mechanism and shortens the course of illness.
Plasma therapy is showing dramatic response in a significant number of severely ill patients that might make it a promising treatment option despite some uncommon, but serious, adverse reactions”
The study says, People who recover from COVID-19 do so, at least in part, because their blood contains substances called antibodies, which are capable of fighting the virus that causes the illness.
It turns out that for some other diseases caused by respiratory viruses, giving people the liquid portion of blood, called plasma, obtained from those who have recovered from the virus, leads to more rapid improvement of the disease.
“Very happy to hear that Burjeel Hospital has taken the initiative to start convalescent plasma therapy in the private sector," said Dr. Mazin Al Khabouri ,DG of Private Health Establishments.
“I am confident that more hospitals in the private sector will select the appropriate COVID patients to start plasma therapy," he added.
Dr. Rohil Raghavan, CEO at VPS Healthcare, Oman said: “We are honoured to initiate plasma therapy in Burjeel hospital with the continuous support of DGPHE, Central Blood Bank & Ministry of Health authorities and we hope to treat patients with utmost care assuring the most advanced treatments available. Together we stand to fight against this pandemic situation.”