MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. A total of 8,825 people in Moscow have become donors of plasma with coronavirus antibodies, they donated plasma more than 10,500 times, the Moscow mayor’s official website reported.

"[A total of] 8,825 Moscow residents have donated plasma with COVID antibodies since April, they have undergone more than 10,500 procedures. About 13.5% of the donors have done that several times," the report said.

People who recover from COVID-19 continue to produce antibodies for several months. Plasma can be donated up to 20 times a year. In this case, the interval between donations should be two weeks.

According to the clinical committee’s decision, plasma with COVID-19 antibodies is used for treating hospital patients with moderate and severe conditions. The decision on its transfusion is made by the attending physician depending on the clinical picture. This method is a component of comprehensive treatment.

Thanks to plasma transfusion, the likelihood that a patient’s condition will deteriorate and he or she will be connected to a ventilator drops by almost half, while the survival rate grows by 19%.

"People aged between 18 and 55 years old who have recovered from COVID-19 and weigh more than 50 kilograms are invited to become donors. Five weeks should pass after the first symptoms of COVID-19 appear. Chronic diseases, HIV, syphilis and viral hepatitis are among the contraindications," the report said.

To date, 2,877,727 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 2,295,362 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 51,351 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.