ANKARA: Turkey has reportedly begun testing plasma therapy as a possible treatment for the coronavirus disease, which has affected more than 34,109 people in the country.
Turkish Red Crescent Society President Kerem Kinik said in a statement, “We are waiting for the blood donations of COVID-19’s recovered patients in order to save the lives of other affected patients.”
According to Kinik, every person who has recovered from the virus can donate blood three times a week. A recently recovered doctor became the first plasma donor in Turkey.
Plasma is a component of human blood that contains antibodies that contribute to a body’s immune response. Use of plasma, through direct transfusion into a patient, like every other proposed treatment for COVID-19.
Turkey has so far confirmed 725 deaths from coronavirus and 1,582 have recovered in the country. Face masks are mandatory on public transport, in markets and other communal spaces, and 31 cities are now closed to all but essential traffic.
The first case in Turkey was confirmed on 11th March 2020. The country now has the ninth-highest number of cases worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Read more: COVID-19 cases surge 1.3 million globally
