MANILA, Philippines — There is no evidence or indication, so far, of the harmful effects of convalescent plasma therapy on patients who contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 is known to be transmitted via respiratory droplets and there is no evidence yet that an individual can be infected through the transfusion of blood or blood products.
“Wala tayong dapat ikabahala sa ngayon dahil wala naman pinapakita na indikasyon na ito ay makakapabigay ng masamang epekto,” she told reporters in an online press conference.
(We don’t have anything to worry about because there is no indication yet that this convalescent plasma therapy has harmful effects.)
Convalescent plasma therapy uses the antibodies of COVID-19 survivors to boost the immune systems of the critically ill through the transfusion of blood plasma.
She issued the remark after Senator Sonny Angara, who was previously reported to have recovered from COVID-19, tested positive anew for the novel coronavirus.
He was donating his blood plasma to help infected patients recover but was told by his doctors to stop because of the positive result.
Angara’s doctors said he was probably no longer infectious as the result may have shown just “remnants” of the coronavirus.
READ: Angara positive again for SARS-CoV-2; result shows ‘remnants’ of virus
Vergeire echoed this, saying that remnants of the virus “might not be infectious.”
She added that the DOH has not recorded any case of coronavirus reinfection in the country yet.
READ: Angara not infectious despite being positive for virus again, says DOH exec