Blood plasma collection starts to treat COVID-19-infected patients

A blood plasma collection campaign for treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus started on Tuesday morning in Romania, and the first three plasma collections from COVID-19-cured donors took place at the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre.

The Health Ministry (MS) says the plasma will be tested and after biological certification it will be made available to hospitals.

COVID-19 cured donor plasma (PPC-DV-COVID-19) will only be administered to critically ill patients confirmed with COVID-19, at least 18 years of age, who meet the following criteria: in intensive care at a hospital designated by order of the minister of health for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and approved by the intensive care board; showing a rapid progression of severe pneumonia/pulmonary infiltrates despite the treatment administered; mechanically ventilated less than 10 days or on the threshold of intubation and mechanical ventilation.

MS has issued a ministerial order on a methodology for the collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of plasma from COVID-19-cured donors and monitored use for critically ill COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

The document sets out the collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of plasma from the COVID-19-cured donors and the monitored use for critical COVID-19 patients in intensive care, in accordance with national blood transfusion legislation and the technical guide developed by the European Commission on the collection, testing, processing, storage, distribution and monitored use of plasma from COVID-19 cured persons for the treatment of COVID-19.

Currently, there are three devices for the plasma treatment of coronavirus patients donated to MH: one each in Bucharest, Timisoara and Iasi.

According to MF, patients cured of COVID 19 will be contacted in accordance with national and EU rules, or they may contact blood transfusion centres for plasma donation.