The Assam government has decided to accord state guest status to plasma donors from outside the state for treatment of critical Covid-19 patients. Donors from within the state will also be given preference in government schemes and facilities.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday evening announced the schemes to attract plasma donors following the sudden spurt in number of Covid-19 cases as well as death since June 24.

Assam is trying plasma therapy to treat critical patients because convalescent plasma is fast proving to be effective in treating Covid patients and conditions of many have improved with its use, Sarma said. So far three persons have been administered plasma of recovered patients, sources said.

This therapy involves using the plasma of recovered Covid-19 patients as their blood is rich in antibodies that neutralises the virus, sources said. A recovered patient can donate his plasma till three months of their recovery, they added.

The number of cases crossed the 20,600 mark on Friday with over 13,000 cases reported since June 24, most of them without travel history. The toll stood at 50. Guwahati is the worst affected, registering over 9,000 Covid-19 cases since June 24 with 25 deaths. In Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, there are 45 patients in the ICU of whom seven are critical.

Sarma followed up his announcement to woo plasma donors on Thursday with a series of tweets on Friday, urging recovered Covid-19 patients (symptomatic) to come forward and donate plasma to plasma bank which became operational at the GMCH from July 3.