Plasma Therapy: Delhi Gears Up To Fight Covid-19 Cases With Plasma Bank; Maharashtra Launches Trial Cum Treatment Project

Two of the worst affected states in the country are boosting their battle against the coronavirus with plasma therapy. While Delhi is starting a plasma bank, Maharashtra is starting an extensive plasma therapy trial.

Staff seal a blood plasma pouch at a plasma donor centre (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

New Delhi: With the rising number of COVID 19 cases across the country, the government of two of the worst affected states Delhi and Maharashtra plan to set up 'plasma banks'. In plasma therapy, the blood is taken from the recovered patient and the plasma is separated. It is then tested for the antibodies and then administered to Covid-19 patients who are critically ill to boost their fight against the virus. It is not considered to be a cure for the infection but an emergency procedure for severe cases. Delhi: The Delhi government plans to set up a ‘plasma bank’ in the city’s Institute of Liver and Biliary (ILBS) Sciences located in South Delhi. The chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has said during a press conference that the bank will be set up within two days and has urged patients who have recovered to come forward and donate their plasma. How will it function? He said that a designated phone number will be made available soon and those who wish to donate can either call or send a message to inform authorities. The government will take care of travel expenses. The state was allowed to use plasma therapy by the Centre after getting ‘good results’ during trials on 29 people. “With this plasma bank, everyone will get plasma irrespective of it being government or private hospital. Plasma will be available on a doctor’s prescription, so to acquire plasma one needs to have a recommendation by a doctor. Since there is a fear of contracting the infection again we have set up this bank in ILBS which is not a coronavirus hospital,” Kejriwal said during the conference. Plasma therapy works on moderate cases, cannot be considered a cure, says Kejriwal But Kejriwal said that plasma therapy cannot be considered a cure and that everyone will be saved. According to him it only works on patients who have moderate cases but if patients have co-morbidities and are in critical conditions it will be difficult to save them. Recently, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain who had tested positive for Coronavirus showed improvement in health after receiving plasma therapy He also informed that 52-year-old Dr.Aseem Gupta from Lok Nayak Hospital (LNJP) hospital died due to COVID 19 after contracting it while working in the ICU taking care of coronavirus patients. The state has recorded total of 83077 coronavirus cases and 2623 fatalities. Maharashtra:  The state which has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country has announced that it will start conducting extensive trials for plasma therapy. The chief minister Uddhav Thackeray launched ‘Project Platina’ on Monday. The trial will be conducted in 17 medical colleges across the state. According to media reports, critical patients will receive two doses of 200 ml of plasma during the trial.

CM Uddhav Thackeray ji just launched Project Platina- the world’s largest convalescent plasma therapy trial. Maharashtra has been working on plasma therapy since the beginning of the covid fight, but now it will be a formal trial- treatment project across Maharashtra (1/n)

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) June 29, 2020

The state has recorded a total of 1,64,626 coronavirus cases and 7429 fatalities.