Palace welcomes DOST study on use of blood plasma as therapy for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang welcomed the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) move to start a study on using convalescent blood plasma as therapy for those sickened with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“The Palace welcomes the announcement of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña on the start of the government-funded study looking on the use of convalescent blood plasma as one of the modes of therapy for COVID-19,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

The convalescent plasma is the liquid part of blood collected from patients who survived from the respiratory disease as they develop antibodies against the disease, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Roque said the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital is already using the plasma as therapy for COVID-19 patients with the help of funding from DOST.

Meanwhile, Senator Sonny Angara also encouraged his fellow COVID-19 recovered patients to donate their blood plasma to help people who were infected by the disease.

In another statement, Angara said his office launched a website to allow blood donors to connect with hospitals.

Interested donors may register and select their preferred hospital through plasmangpagasa.com.

Angara said donors must have fully recovered from the infectious disease for at least two weeks.

CFC