Karnataka will initiate convalescent plasma (CP) therapy for critically-ill COVID-19 patients beginning Saturday, state Education Minister Suresh Kumar, who is in-charge of addressing the press in the wake of the pandemic, said on Friday.
Convalescent plasma therapy is an experimental treatment, injecting plasma of patients who have recovered from the disease to those who are still infected. This treatment procedure has previously been used for treating Ebola virus and Spanish flu patients.
“The doctors will collect the plasma of two-three such donors who have voluntarily come forward for the programme. Doctors cannot collect plasma from patients who already have certain comorbidities or are above 60 years of age,” Minister Suresh Kumar said.
The process will first begin at the Bangalore Medical College where many patients who have recovered have come forward to donate their plasma. Based on the success, the process will be expanded to other COVID-19 hospitals.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr Sudhakar said that the convalescent plasma therapy was only for patients who are critical, in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) or on ventilator support.
This announcement from the state government comes after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) granted Karnataka permission to begin clinical trials for the use of plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Minister Suresh Kumar had announced that Bengaluru-based HCG (HealthCare Global) Hospital had received the Centre’s nod to conduct clinical trials on patients to evaluate the efficacy of convalescent plasma transfusion therapy. This was after the Directorate General of Healthcare Services (DGHS) gave grants to the hospital for the study.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa issued a congratulatory statement for the private healthcare company.
Speaking to TNM earlier, HCG's Associate Dean Vishal Rao had said that the idea behind the treatment was to check if a healthy person’s immunity can be transferred with the help of transferred plasma.
States like Kerala, Punjab, Delhi and Gujarat have started this treatment.