The Rajasthan government has sought permission from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to begin trials to administer convalescent plasma therapy to critical novel coronavirus patients the at Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital.
Health minister Dr Raghu Sharma said, “Rajasthan is ready to conduct trials of the plasma therapy. Our doctors are ready to begin it. They have taken blood samples of patients who had tested positive and have now turned negative. Their plasma will be used in the treatment of serious and stage two patients. We have written to the ICMR and will begin as soon as we get a green signal.”
The state government has formed a team of four doctors to conduct a feasibility study for plasma therapy on critical patients. The team would perform plasma therapy after conducting research and tests for a week.
The health minister added, “The number of positives in the state has reached 2,061. At the same time 493 persons who had earlier tested positive have turned negative and 198 have been sent home. Rajasthan has conducted 79,000 tests, which is the highest number of tests in the country.”
Meanwhile 27 persons tested positive in the state on Saturday. As per the 2 pm report, eight are from Ajmer, five each from Jhalawar and Jodhpur, four from Kota, two from Dholpur and one each from Bharatpur, Dungarpur and Jaipur. This takes the total number of positives to 1998 and on adding 61 evacuees and two Italians, the tally reaches 2061. There have been 33 deaths in the state due to COVID-19.
