Covid-19 patients carry the remedy in their blood

The Association "Treatment of Covid-19 with Convalescent Plasma" is launching a national campaign to promote the method which has a good effect on those infected with coronavirus, Dr. Pavlina Mihaylova, chairwoman of the association, told BNR. In order for treatment to be successful, there must be enough antibodies in the plasma. According to the doctor, 18,000 people in Bulgaria have already had Covid-19 and many of them could donate plasma. According to her, everyone who has had a coronavirus infection carries the medicine in their blood.

Young surgeon recovers from Covid-19 after transfusion of convalescent plasma

Thirty-one-year-old Dr. Momchil Manchev who specializes in surgery was discharged from the Clinic for Treatment of Infectious Diseases at St. Anna hospital in Sofia after treatment with blood plasma. Dr. Manchev recovered successfully from Covid-19 after transfusion of convalescent plasma from another patient who had Covid-19. The therapy is still experimental in Bulgaria. Dr. Manchev does not know where he got infected with the novel coronavirus. He was almost in a critical health condition when doctors decided to treat him with transfusion of convalescent plasma in combination with antiviral medication. At the end of August treatment of Covid-19 with convalescent plasma was approved in the USA. Dr. Manchev does not know who donated the blood plasma used during his treatment. He is ready to donate blood as well, in order to help other Covid-19 patients.

Bulgaria reports 174 new infections as active cases stand at 4,410

Bulgaria has registered 174 new infections, or 3.6% of the 4,835 PCR tests performed by laboratories during the past 24 hours returned positive, data of the Single Coronavirus Information Portal shows. A total of 184 people have been cured, 2 persons have died and 744 patients remain currently in hospital, 43 of them in intensive care units. The active cases of Covid-19 in Bulgaria are 4,410. Most new cases have been reported in Sofia - 39, in Blagoevgrad - 28, in Plovdiv - 19, in Burgas - 14, in Stara Zagora - 12, in Yambol - 10. Since the beginning of the epidemic the number of those infected with coronavirus has reached 18,390. The Covid-19 death toll has reached 739 people.

Education Minister does not expect boom in coronavirus cases in schools

"The situation in the education system is calm and there is no reason to worry," Bulgaria's Education Minister Krassimir Valchev has said. Three days after the beginning of the school year in Bulgaria on September 15, the first cases of coronavirus infection of teachers and students have been registered in Sofia, Ruse and Stara Zagora. "If we have 200 patients every day, at least 10-15 of them will be students and teachers and this will be the situation throughout the school year," Valchev said. The number of people employed at the system of preschool and school education amount to 3% of all Bulgarian workers. Children and pupils in Bulgaria’s schools and kindergartens are 12%-13% of the whole population. Students and teachers will be infected and we have to get used to it, Minister Valchev said. 

31,000 Bulgarian farmers entitled to exceptional Covid-19 financing

More than 31,000 Bulgarian farmers have already applied for exceptional Covid-19 financing, the State Fund Agriculture announced. All applications are legitimate. Nearly 15,000 of all applicants are employed at the plant production subsector.  Farmers can submit their applications until September 21, 2020.

Compiled by: Gergana Mancheva and Radio Bulgaria’s news team

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