UAE begins clinical trials of coronavirus blood plasma treatment

The UAE is to begin clinical trials involving transfusions of blood plasma from coronavirus survivors into patients who have severe symptoms in a bid to treat the illness, the health ministry said Saturday.

Plasma, the fluid in blood teeming with antibodies post-illness, has already proven effective in small studies to treat infectious diseases including Ebola and SARS.

Dr. Farida Al Hosani, the official spokesperson of the UAE health sector, told a press conference that 376 new coronavirus cases were detected after more than 20,000 tests. The Gulf country registered a high number of recoveries of 170, taking the total recoveries to 588 as of April 11.

Responding to a question on the treatment being provided to the patients, Al Hosani said medicines, anti-viral drugs, and plasma from recovered patients were being used.

“The blood donated by people who have recovered from Covid-19 was being used in plasma treatment to boost the speed of recovery for people who tested positive to the coronavirus,” she said.

“Majority of the Covid-19 cases recorded across the country are simple and mild cases. All those with high fever and respiratory distress should go directly to the test centres,” she said.

“Health experts are continuing to review the latest drug treatments available to support patients fighting the virus. Hydroxychloroquine medicines and other anti-viral drugs – as per research – are being used in the UAE and we are following up on their effectiveness.”

Recovered patients are playing their part in helping those fighting the disease to get back to full health, Al Hosani said