Why India s doctors differ on Covid-19 plasma therapy
By Vikas Pandey
image captionRecovered patients from all over the world have come forward to donate plasma
Desperate calls for blood plasma to treat Covid-19 patients continue to appear on India s social media platforms even as doctors have mixed views about the experimental therapy.
When people have Covid-19 or other viral diseases, their immune system responds by creating antibodies, which attack the virus. Over time the antibodies build up and can be found in plasma - the liquid portion of the blood.
India s health authorities, like many around the world, have allowed the use of plasma to treat severely ill patients as Covid-19 continues to claim lives. The therapy also requires the consent of patients and their families.