Long Covid sufferers in Europe seeking experimental 'blood washing' in Germany
New Delhi: It is known that some of the side effects of Covid-19 are painful for some people for a long time. Many Covid sufferers in Europe are reportedly going to Germany and the reason is that there is a process called 'blood washing' available there. Let's find out what ‘blood washing’ actually is.
What is blood washing?
In fact, this is a treatment that is still in the research phase and has not yet got approved. In this process, the victim's own blood is drawn and later, fats and proteins that cause inflammation will be removed. That blood said to have been 'purified', is then administered to the patients.
'Blood washing' is called 'Apheresis' in medical parlance. At present this treatment is offered by some institutions in Germany, Switzerland and Turkey. Patients from many countries in Europe are flocking to that country.
In fact, the German Society of Nephrology says that this 'Apheresis' process is the last resort for health problems caused by fats (lipid disorders). However, there is no research (clinical trials) on the extent to which it is useful for the patients of 'long Covid'. That is why experts do not consider it as a reliable treatment.
Looming threats...
Moreover, ‘Apheresis’ has many side effects. For example, there are many disadvantages like bleeding, the possibility of blood clots, the risk of infections and reactions with some of the chemicals (agents) used for the procedure. The British Medical Journal states that even after undergoing this treatment, many do not see any benefit. Moreover, some of them are spending their entire lifetime earnings for this purpose.
Moreover, some patients are also taking 'Hyper Baric Oxygen Therapy'. This 'Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a process where oxygen is pumped under very high pressure in certain chambers and inhaled. Others are taking vitamin D supplements excessively and indiscriminately.
However, the claim of the treatment provider is that due to the removal of fats from the blood in the process of ‘Apheresis’, it will lose its gluey nature and flow smoothly, thereby reducing the small blood clots (micro clots) seen in long Covid sufferers and as a result, many problems will be reduced. They question the need for clinical trials since so many people are already being relieved without harming anyone.
“Therapists claim that this procedure prevents micro clots. But, no one explains how this happens. There is no basis for this. Microclots in long Covid sufferers may be a symptom, but without knowing how they are actually formed... it is absurd to consider removing them as a treatment,'' says Robert Ariens, a professor of vascular biology at the University of Leeds School of Medicine.
Some experts claim that this can lead to some injuries, bleeding from sores, nosebleeds and brain hemorrhages. Many medical experts are of the opinion that it is not appropriate to lean toward procedures that have not been conducted in the background of the fact that the actual causes of long Covid are not yet known.
