Karnataka commences clinical trials for convalescent Plasma Therapy to treat coronavirus COVID-19 patients

In a significant step, Karnataka on Saturday commenced clinical trials for convalescent Plasma Therapy to treat severely infected coronavirus, COVID-19 patients. Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar called it a historical moment for the state.

Sudhakar along with Health & Family Welfare Minister Sriramulu inaugurated clinical trials of Convalescent Plasma Therapy at Victoria hospital in Bengaluru. Victoria Hospital Dean Dr CR Jayanti, Dr Vishal Rao of Bangalore Institute of Oncology, who was given permission for trials by Centre and Principal BMCRI Dr Ramesh were present during the trial's commencement.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Sudhakar said, “This is a historical moment for the state and confident that Plasma therapy helps serious COVID-19 affected to recover. I have always maintained that Plasma treatment is very effective for the patients in critical condition and relieved when we got permission for trials and able to commence trials in just 3-4 days after receiving permission from Centre."

Dr Sudhakar thanked the person who fully recovered from COVID-19 and volunteered to donate plasma cells and appealed to those patients who were successfully treated for coronavirus to come forward to donate plasma and help in the recovery of patients in ICU to recover. The Minister said trials for the treatment of patients in ventilators will start next week.

It can be recalled that Directorate of Public Health under Centre has recently accorded permission for using Plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in Karnataka. Dr Vishal Rao of Bangalore Institute of Oncology was given permission to conduct a clinical trial on this. Plasma therapy was effectively used in the past during Ebola and Spanish flu pandemic.

In this treatment, plasma cells from a COVID-19 patient who has recovered from the disease is transfused into a coronavirus patient who is in critical condition. By infusing Plasma therapy, Karnataka has taken a significant step in the fight against COVID-19.