Blood donor units are badly needed by the public. Moreover, during the pandemic one of the treatments considered effective has been convalescent plasma (therapy).
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chief of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), Jusuf Kalla, has urged blood donor units across Indonesian regions to collect convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19.

Convalescent plasma is extracted from the blood of patients recovering from COVID-19, he said in a written statement released on Monday.

“Blood donor units are badly needed by the public. Moreover, during the pandemic, one of the treatments considered effective has been convalescent plasma (therapy),” he noted.

Convalescent plasma can be given to COVID-19 patients who are in critical condition, he added.

One of the PMI branches that have been requested to produce convalescent plasma is located in Central Sulawesi.

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Jusuf Kalla visited the PMI branch in Central Sulawesi to inaugurate the revamped blood donor unit building and hand over laboratory equipment and a blood transfusion unit car from the International Red Cross.

"That is one of the objectives of my visit here, that is how we encourage all of us to be able to solve the problem," he remarked.

The PMI is working with the Ejikman Molecular Biological Institute to extract convalescent plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19.

Convalescent plasma is collected from COVID-19 patients two to four weeks after they recover from the infection, Ejikman Molecular Biological Institute’s Amin Soebandrio said.

The period of time is considered accurate to produce convalescent plasma because the bodies of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 contain a good level of antibodies to neutralize the virus, he explained. (INE)

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Translator: Fransiska Ninditya/Suharto
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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