MINSK, 18 May (BelTA) – The National Research Center for Transfusiology and Medical Biotechnology intends to test 2,000 regular donors of blood and plasma for the presence of antibodies that are used in treating COVID-19, head of the center Fyodor Karpenko told the STV channel on 17 May.
According to Fyodor Karpenko, around 70% of people in Belarus and the world have an asymptomatic form of COVID-19. “We expect that we might find the antibodies in people who have no idea about having the coronavirus. This is why studies of herd immunity, when researchers test a certain group of people for the presence of antibodies, is rather effective in terms of predicting the future development of the COVID-19 infection. For us, as a transfusiology center, it is also important to find possible donors,” the head of the center explained. He said that the Belarusian Healthcare Ministry is working to authorize testing of more than 2,000 regular blood and plasma donors from the database of the center who are ready for donation after a medical examination. The center might start the experiment in the near future.
“We will test (with people's consent, of course) whether our regular donors have immunoglobulins G that can be used for collecting immune plasma in the future. We will also be able to kill two birds with one stone: see who could have had an asymptomatic form of the disease as well as find new donors and increase the amount of collected plasma,” Fyodor Karpenko noted.
All in all, the database of the National Research Center for Transfusiology and Medical Biotechnology includes around 2,000 donors of plasma and thrombocytes, and around 15,000 blood donors.
The first blood plasma donation was performed in Belarus on 11 April. As of today, more than 120 people in Belarus donated plasma. Over 200 people registered to become donors, however, not all of them met the donation requirements because of having contraindications or having no antibodies. The donation should be preceded by a thorough medical examination. The very transfusion lasts from 30 to 50 minutes. As many as 99% of donors experience no side effects.
