THD NewsDesk, NEW DELHI: A recent ICMR study indicates that administering convalescent plasma to coronavirus patients is negligibly effective in reducing their death risk. Earlier considered to be effective in curbing the Covid fatality rate questions have now been raised on the life-saving ability of Plasma therapy.
The study is now gaining confidence among other doctors who are putting forward similar doubts about the efficacy of the drug. Top doctors of AIIMS, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, and Lok Nayak hospital have all emphasized on the need for performing more clinical trials before declaring plasma therapy beneficial in bringing down the fatality rate among coronavirus patients.
Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS asked doctors to be careful about the donor selection, keeping in mind the physical constitution of the patient. The age and medical history of the patient should be included in the picture before subjecting them to plasma therapy. However, he iterated that there is no need to put the therapy on hold until the research continues.
Dr. K. Sarin, Director of ILBS remarked that many institutions ignorantly undermined the significance of checking the level of neutralizing antibodies in the donor. These samples were rendered ineffective in countering the virus in patients with severe illness.
“The difference in age and severity of illness, with donors being younger and having milder disease, could have driven this difference. While all Covid-19 survivors were encouraged to donate plasma, an overwhelming majority of the donors were only mildly sick, young survivors. Recovered patients who had the moderate or severe disease were generally reluctant to return to hospitals for plasma donation,” the ICMR study noted.
The ICMR research study confirms the findings of trials conducted by ILBS on 29 patients which showed no mortality benefit after being given the plasma therapy. However, the trial was conducted on a small scale and a larger study would be required to assess the potency of the therapy.
Fortunately, such a study is being collectively conducted by ILBS and Lok Nayak Hospital along with Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital on 400 Covid-19 patients. The results of the study would hopefully be able to give us a more detailed analysis of the benefits of plasma therapy.