Sampada A. Khatiwada

As the vaccine against the novel coronavirus is yet to be developed, health systems across the world have been trying various alternative methods for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Coronavirus infections in Nepal, especially in the Kathmandu Valley, have been increasing rapidly in recent times, with hundreds of patients in critical health condition undergoing treatment in ICUs.
In view of the rising number of virus cases, the Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT), one of the alternative treatments provided to the infected patients, has now become the need of the hour for many hospitals across the nation.
The plasma therapy requires transfusion of plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient to the person who is battling the infection. The person infected with SARS-CoV-2 naturally generates antibodies against the virus. This makes his/her blood equivalent to a drug against the infection. These antibodies are present in plasma, which is extracted from the blood. Thus, the plasma can be administered to COVID-19 patients who are in serious health condition so that the antibodies could help them fight the infection.
If we look back into history, the CPT has been used as the alternative mode of treatment of various pandemics and epidemics, including the Spanish Flu, an unusually deadly influenza spread some 100 years back.
Currently, countries all across the globe including China, USA and India are considering CPT for COVID-19 patients and governments themselves have been appealing the recovered patients to donate plasmas.
In Nepal, the CPT is under investigation at the National Health Research Council (NHRC). Although the CPT's efficacy has not been ascertained yet, the TU Teaching Hospital based in Maharajgunj carried out the first successful trial of the plasma therapy on August 2. The experiment resulted in improvement in the health condition of the patient to whom the plasma was administered. The doctors at TUTH said that after the transfusion of CPT, the patient had recovered 70 per cent of the infection within 48 hours.
The CPT has certainly brought a ray of hope in the treatment of COVID-19 patients and many hospitals nationwide have been using it.  
Along with the increasing infection rate of COVID-19 in the country, the recovery rate is also on the rise. Around 74 per cent of those infected with the novel coronavirus have already been recovered. Despite the massive recovery rate, it is an uphill battle for the patients and hospitals to find plasma donors.
Being perceived as a taboo, COVID-19 is cornering the infected people. For the fear of being stigmatised socially, they seem to be quite reluctant to reveal their infections.
In order to ensure prompt availability of plasma, it is essential for the government, private sector ad eminent personalities to launch a campaign for encouraging the recovered patients to donate their plasma to those in need. The experiences and success stories of both donors and receivers of CPT should be shared with people so that those eligible to donate plasma would come in the forefront without fearing any social stigma.
The government alone cannot fight COVID-19 as the deadly virus disease has spread in all the districts, infecting almost a million people. We must do our bit to help the government curb the virus. As responsible citizens who owe some duty to the nation, it is vital for all of us to realise our role in the fight against the pandemic.