Pakistan’s first recovered coronavirus patient, Yahya Jaffery, has donated his plasma for the treatment of critical patients of COVID-19 through passive immunization.
Yahya Jaffrey was present with his parents and hematologist Dr Saqib Ansari at a press conference. They informed that they have sought the permission of the government to proceed with the treatment of passive immunization to treat critical patients of coronavirus.
Pakistan's first coronavirus patient Yahya Jafferi donates plasma for passive immunization for treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country pic.twitter.com/zM3RYhU6Qn
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) April 2, 2020
“We need no funds, no machinery or workforce as our hospital is ready to offer its services free of cost,” said Dr Ansari. “The process of acquiring and processing the plasma costs Rs 20,000 each and the hospital is ready to bear the cost for the good of humanity. Currently, our team is working on three fronts to handle the pandemic: limit the outbreak, treatment of patients and control panic in society.”
Dr Ansari appreciated Yahya Jaffery and his parents to fight coronavirus and serve humanity. He said the method of passive immunization has been used successfully in other parts of the world, where the plasma along with several antibiotics and therapies has been used effectively to cure patients of virus.
“Based on the latest study in Beijing in collaboration with the world’s leading research institutes, the plasma infusion in critical patients of coronavirus has yielded excellent results. The method is being used across the world for the treatment of critical patients of the disease and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other reputable institutions.”
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Meanwhile, Yahya Jaffery appealed to the citizens not to panic over the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country. He encouraged people to fight it bravely, set himself as an example for others to follow. He thanked the health professionals, family, and community for supporting him throughout his illness.
“These three segments are key players to fight this pandemic. Please don’t treat patients like evils or criminals. They are among us and people like us. They need the support of society and encouragement from the people,” said Yahya.
Jaffery added that the virus will be history in the coming days but the resolve of the nation would be remembered.