Indian Premier League (IPL) team Delhi Capitals (DC) opener Shikhar Dhawan on Saturday appealed to Covid-19 survivors to come forward and donate their blood plasma so that the lives of the critically ill patients could be saved.
In a short video posted by his franchise, Dhawan said: "The whole country is reeling under Covid-19 and people are doing their best to save their near and dear ones. They are running from pillar to post and approaching hospitals and blood banks. But you (Covid survivors) have a superpower with which you can save lives.
"If you have beaten Covid-19, the Almighty has given you a superpower. Don't let it go waste. Join the Fever FM team. Earn as many blessings as possible because when you are in trouble, only blessings help. The Project Plasma will beat Covid-19, so donate plasma and earn blessings," Dhawan said.
Alarmed by the rate of Covid-19 spread across the country, DC recently launched a campaign for people, who have recovered from the disease, to come forward and donate their plasma.
The therapy is one of the several treatments given to critically ill patients where the plasma is extracted from the blood of fully recovered Covid-19 survivors and injected into the bloodstream of infected patients.
Chennai Super Kings' Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja also urged people to follow guidelines amid the Covid-19 crisis. Jadeja tweeted that the nation needs to be united in the fight against the pandemic and also thanked healthcare workers for their contribution.
"Right now more than ever we need to be united in our fight against Covid-19. Please wear a mask, follow social distancing and let's adhere to the government norms. As citizens, we must be responsible, and I thank the doctors, nurses for their selfless service in these tough times," wrote Jadeja.
Raina also requested people to stay home and help the frontline workers to do their job.
"India is battling a crisis situation today. The medical infrastructure is slowly collapsing, resources depleting and more lives at risk than ever before. There is no pain greater than seeing your loved one fight the battle," he tweeted.
Doctors and scientists are of the opinion that the antibodies in the plasma of recovered patients when injected into the bloodstream of critically ill patients help them recover from the dreaded diseases faster.
DC had also tweeted a poster, saying, "Project Plasma, let's save every life. You are a superhero if you have recovered from Covid-19 because you have the power to save life."
(With IANS Inputs)