New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (April 24) said the initial results of the plasma therapy used on four coronavirus patients in the capital city were encouraging. Kejriwal said in the last few days, the government had tried plasma therapy on four patients at the Lok Nayak Hospital and two of these patients may be discharged from the hospital soon.
Addressing an online media briefing today, Delhi CM said, "Once a person recovers from corona, antibodies are formed in his blood, which is then transferred into a recovering person`s body. We got the trial permission for patients admitted to the Lok Nayak hospital."
He said Dr SK Sarin, head of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), is monitoring the whole project.
Last week, the Central government allowed the Delhi government to try plasma therapy on the patients recovering from coronavirus.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Dr SK Sarin, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences requested the recovered coronavirus patients to donate blood plasma so that the critical patients can be saved from organ failure.
Kejriwal said that the plasma therapy trial in LNJP hospital has till now given encouraging results and the government is likely to ask the Centre`s permission to give the therapy to all critical COVID-19 patients in Delhi hospitals.
Explaining about the plasma therapy that is given to the critical patients, Dr SK Sarin made following observations:
1. As there is no vaccine yet to treat the coronavirus patients, the government and the doctors are working hard to bring in a treatment to prevent the deaths of coronavirus infected patients.
2. At this time, we need those people who have recovered from COVID-19 and are at their homes. We need them to show their patriotism and donate blood plasma.
3. Bodies of people who recover from coronavirus produce an anti-body/plasma in the blood to help the person fight against coronavirus. If a little bit of this anti-body/plasma is given to a critical patient then the plasma helps in the latter person`s recovery.
4. We are happy with the positive results in the 4 patients. Blood & plasma is ready for 2-3 other patients that we have at LNJP hospital, we may give them the plasma therapy today. The plasma therapy can only be given to patients who have not yet been put on a ventilator.
5. There are three stages of the coronavirus. In the first stage, the person is hardly diagnosed with the disease. In the second stage, the infected patient develops breathing problems as the lungs started to get affected. In the third stage, the person is put on a ventilator.
6. It is the second stage when the plasma therapy can be given to the coronavirus infected patient.
7. When a person donates blood he/she has to wait for 3 months to do another donation. Further, some of them might face weakness after the blood donation. However, in plasma donation, the machine draws little bit plasma from the blood and then the blood is sent back into the donor`s body.
8. The major difference between plasma donation and blood donation is that a person can again donate plasma after 10 days and never feels any kind of weakness after each donation.
9. The plasma therapy is an inexpensive treatment it has given a ray of hope in this time of crisis. If 10 to 20 COVID-19 patients are treated using plasma therapy, it could be considered a good lead.
10. Plasma therapy is an old technique which is being used for decades. As we don't have a cure for coronavirus, it is useful for serious COVID-19 patients.
11. Donating plasma would be an act of patriotism by recovered patients. It does not lead to any weakness in the body of the donor.
Notably, Dr Sarin said the initial plan was to use plasma therapy as per the age-old traditions, as it had also been used in the 1900s.
Till now, about 4 patients in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) hospital has been given the plasma therapy, of which two have almost fully recovered.
