Turkey: COVID-19 patient tests negative after plasma

MALATYA, Turkey

A 56-year-old patient in Turkey's eastern province of Malatya tested negative for coronavirus after receiving plasma therapy, his doctor said.

The patient was being treated under intensive care after he contracted COVID-19, said Dr. Ahmet Kizilay.

Patients who recover from the lethal virus can help others by donating their plasma, a fluid in the blood which is teeming with anti-bodies that can fight the infection.

Kizilay said the plasma was given to the intubated patient, who has shown a partial recovery after 72 hours.

"Today, our patient is no longer intubated to the machine. Our patient has shown very promising improvement. He is still in ICU and under control. The test we made for him on April 13 resulted in negative," he said.

He was one of the most critical patients we had, he added.

The doctor called on all patients who had recovered from COVID-19 to make blood donations as the plasma at Inonu University Hospital was only enough to treat a maximum of three more patients.

"We need much more," he added.

Turkey has reported 1,643 COVID-19 deaths so far, with over 74,100 confirmed cases.

*Writing by Firdevs Bulut