Director General of the Institute for Haematology and Infectology of the South Pest Central Hospital said at the Saturday online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the epidemic.

István Vályi-Nagy said the Chief Medical Officer sent messages to around three hundred possible donors, encouraging them to become blood plasma donors.

He stressed that in light of the fact that as yet there is no specific therapy or vaccine against the coronavirus, they have begun “experimental therapies” built into clinical trials in a planned fashion. These include the use of the blood plasma of recovered patients. Some of them have developed an adequate immune response to the coronavirus, and their blood plasma can be administered to persons who do not have sufficient antibodies.

They are “highly optimistic” about the blood plasma treatment of patients infected with the coronavirus, he said, and in the future ever more patients could receive such therapy. He added that the plasma taken from recovered patients can be stored for a long time, and so stocks could remain available even for the event of a possible second wave of infection.

The Director General also said tocilizumab therapy now administered for five weeks in a group of patients with severe symptoms “is also producing significant results”. He added that this therapy appears to be able to prevent patients from requiring intensive care as well as to prevent the deaths of patients already in intensive care. He observed that trials abroad related to tocilizumab are only just beginning.

In answer to a question, Mr Vályi-Nagy said Hungary is among the first, together with Poland, to take part in the trial of the drug Remdesivir administered intravenously in patients; clinical trials are about to begin at Szent László Hospital.

Spokesperson of the National Police Constabulary Lt. Colonel Kristóf Gál said they will answer questions relating to the resumption of health care services at the Monday press conference.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)