Coronavirus: Saudi Uses Plasma from Recovered Patients in 3 Regions
Clinical tests are being conducted in seven hospitals employing four methods of treatment of coronavirus infection in the Kingdom, and among them, three are anti-viral medicines having a wide range of uses and a high safety level, the Ministry of Health announced in a statement carried by Saudi Press Agency on Monday.
Assistant Minister of Health and Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdulaali said Saudi Arabia is also using plasma therapy in treating coronavirus patients in three regions of the Kingdom and the research is continuing. As part of the therapy, plasma taken from the recovered cases is transfused into active patients.
Meanwhile, in a press conference he held on Sunday, Dr. Abdullah Asiri, professor of contagious diseases at the Ministry of Health said: “Tests are being carried out on volunteers to determine the effectiveness of these medicines. The health of volunteers undergoing these tests is being monitored continuously.”
“Preliminary results are expected to be out within weeks, through which it can be determined if the medicines are effective and whether they can play a role in the treatment. Till now it is not known if these medicines are effective for the treatment of COVID-19 disease,” Prof. Asiri said.
Other Saudi authorities are conducting non-clinical research covering the preventive aspects and combating infection. Several laboratories are expected to contribute to the global efforts to combat the virus, he said.
