BHOPAL: Gandhi Medical College on Thursday began the Convalescent Plasma therapy process for severely ill corona patients. Thirty six persons cured of the infection have given consent for plasma donation for the therapy. Clinical trials using convalescent plasma therapy undertaken earlier at the facility had yielded positive results.
The corona patient condition significantly improved after receiving convalescent plasma and no evidence of serious complications was reported.
Convalescent plasma treatment was also tested during the Ebola virus outbreak in 2013-2016. Several case reports showed promising results, but again, large-scale randomised trials were not performed.
Health department has given permission to GMC Bhopal on the appropriate use of plasma from recovered patients.
Divisional Commissioner Kavindra Kiwayat said a process begun on Thursday with taking consent from the cured patients and 36 people cured of the virus have come forward to donate their plasma. Previously, we had conducted trials in March-April and after the positive results, now permission has been granted for therapy. Plasma is collected from patients who have recovered from coronavirus after 28 days, the officer said.
“After 28 days, their antigen will be tested and if the cured patients have developed antigen, they will be permitted for donation with all conditions that he/she should be between 18 years to 50 years and should not have any comorbidity .
The handful of early reports in which Covid-19 patients have been treated with convalescent plasma have garnered plenty of interest. Each has concluded that plasma therapy is safe and improves patient outcome, but there are significant limitations to each of these studies. In fact, a plasma donation campaign has been launched in the state capital for treatment of Covid-19 patients through plasma therapy. Under this campaign, people who have recovered from coronavirus disease, will be motivated to donate their plasma. The collection of plasma will be done at Plasma Bank of Gandhi Medical College, following ICMR and standards of governance.
