Covid-19 death rate could be lowered among sickest patients using blood plasma treatment, says Hong Kong university expert
- Professor Ivan Hung says treatment can be effective if administered quickly
- But city’s blood stocks are low with only enough left to help 40 people
Out of 50 critically ill patients across the city who received convalescent plasma treatment, only 11 mostly elderly patients died, while 30 recovered, said Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Hong Kong.
“This treatment can help patients, who have received it quickly, fight off and clear out the virus from their system, as well as regulate the patients’ immune systems,” Hung said.
He said the most important function of the treatment was to clear out the virus, which would prevent further complications such as organ failure.
“This will help lower the death rate and increase recovery rate among patients,” he said.
Side effects from plasma were rare, Hung said, although some people could develop allergies or heart failure if the body was unable to handle processing the 500ml of plasma required for treatment.