The plasma therapy was used for the first time in Nepal which was successful to treat a 60-year-old coronavirus patient in Kathmandu-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH).

Plasma therapy is treatment method in which blood plasma of a recovered COVID-19 patient is transfused to the patient to introduce antibodies in those undergoing treatment – the donor and receiver should be of the same blood group.

According to Dr Santa Kumar Das, coordinator of COVID-19 management committee in TUTH, the patient’s health has improved considerably.

“The patient, a resident of Biratnagar, was admitted to the intensive care unit in the hospital on July 25. His health was already critical when he was brought to the hospital. Even after five days of treatment, his health didn’t improve,”

“The patient needed about 90 per cent of oxygen at the time of admitting to the hospital while the patient needs only 24 per cent oxygen now after the therapy” he said.

Das expressed confidence in improvement of health condition of the second patient who also received plasma therapy after the success of the first trial. The therapy costs about Rs 5,000. However, at present, the government bears all the cost of COVID-19 treatment.