All women who've ever been pregnant can't give plasma

Contrary to the positive stories about the popular plasma therapy for Covid-19, not all women who have ever been pregnant are eligible for donation of plasma going by the donor eligibility criteria.

As a result, out of the 21,384 women in Bengaluru who have recovered from Covid, only 12 women between the age group of 19 and 33-years were able to donate plasma.

Government sources told DH that out of the recovered women in Bengaluru, 56 registered for plasma donation with the state plasma bank. Only 12 were eligible for donation as the rest may have developed, during pregnancy, antibodies that would result in transfusion-related complications.

For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here

Dr Sachin Jadhav, group head of haematology and bone marrow transplant at HCG Hospital where the plasma bank is located, told DH, "When a woman becomes pregnant, she develops antibodies against the father’s (partner's) genetic material called Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA). The HLA antibody can lead to Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI). As per current international guidelines, it is recommended not to take plasma from women who have ever been pregnant as there is a slightly higher risk of reaction in the recipient. Any woman who has carried a baby for four to six months and then miscarried will also have the antibodies."

Dr Shalini Thakur, head and neck cancer surgeon at HCG and coordinator for donor approval at the plasma bank, told DH, "It is not that women are not coming forward to donate plasma. Even doctors came forward to donate. Out of 300 recovered Covid patients registered with the plasma bank, 56 are women. But out of the 120 who have donated plasma, only 12 are women who donated 26 units of plasma (each donor donates two units, two women donated twice) because others are mothers. We cannot use plasma of parous mothers."

Women constitute 40% of Covid patients in the city and a significant percentage of recovered female patients have been pregnant. This has brought down the total available pool of recovered Covid patients whose plasma can be used to treat severely ill Covid patients.