An Emirati man, 29, became one of the first recovered coronavirus patients to donate his plasma to treat others still battling the virus in Abu Dhabi, it was announced on Sunday.
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City said the plasma was given intravenously to an infected patient being treated at the hospital.
Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, head of haematology and oncology, said doctors were monitoring the patient, who has moderate to severe symptoms, to test the treatment’s effectiveness.
“We are still waiting for the results of this treatment and we are optimistic that it will be promising," Dr Al Kaabi said. "We expect the patient’s condition to improve soon."
We are still waiting for the results of this treatment and we are optimistic that it will be promising
On Saturday, Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the UAE's health sector, said plasma treatment was being used in hospitals across the country.
Dr Al Hosani said the UAE was leaving no stone unturned to identify the best treatments and research studies to assist medical work.
That included looking into the use of the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine.
The use of plasma to treat Covid-19 was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and has been adopted in hospitals worldwide.
Doctors have found that between 40 and 50 per cent of patients who undergo the treatment show promising results.
It is also being used in Dubai, the emirate’s health authority said on Sunday.
"There are criteria for selecting blood plasma recipients,” Dr Al Kaabi said.
Recipients must be aged between 16 and 75, and their condition must be moderate to severe.
“They must also not suffer from any health conditions that would prevent their body from accepting plasma," Dr Al Kaabi said.
"One of the most important criteria for choosing the recipient is that their blood group must match that of the donor."
Plasma can be donated at a blood bank. The blood is donated whole and the plasma is extracted.
The extracted plasma from one donation can typically be used to treat two patients.
“In the absence of a drug or vaccine against this rapidly spreading virus, we decided to expedite the use of blood plasma therapy to save those in critical situations,” said Dr Mariam Al Mazrouei, chief executive of the hospital.
The use of plasma in medical treatment dates to before the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918.
It involves using the plasma of people who have recovered from a viral infection, and therefore have antibodies in their blood that can rapidly detect and destroy the virus.
The plasma can boost their immune systems and potentially provide protection.
With only a relatively small number of patients so far treated with plasma and no formal trials under way, it is difficult to know how effective the treatment really is in this case.
But two medical teams working in separate hospitals in China gave donated plasma to 15 critically ill patients and recorded significant improvements in their symptoms.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
It Was Just an Accident
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Rating: 4/5
Jetour T1 specs
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Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
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The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
SCHEDULE FOR SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - from 4pm (UAE time)
Angelique Kerber (1) v Irina Falconi
Martin Klizan v Novak Djokovic (2)
Alexandr Dolgopolov v Roger Federer (3)
Court One - from 4pm
Milos Raonic (6) v Jan-Lennard Struff
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Evgeniya Rodina
Dominic Thiem (8) v Vasek Pospisil
Court Two - from 2.30pm
Juan Martin Del Potro (29) v Thanasi Kokkinakis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Jelena Jankovic
Jeremy Chardy v Tomas Berdych (11)
Ons Jabeur v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
