BENGALURU: Trials of convalescent plasma therapy, which is the most promising treatment option yet for COVID-19, was inaugurated at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru on Saturday. In more good news, four recovered patients have come forward to donate plasma for the therapy. Of them, one has fully consented and the clinical trials, involving him, will begin on Monday.
The donor is a 40-year-0ld senior HR professional from Bengaluru. Dr Vishal Rao, Regional Director, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery, HCG Cancer Centre, who is leading the clinical trials in association with the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, said, “This donor has fully agreed to the procedure. We hadn’t even contacted him.
He mailed me saying he was interested in it and wanted to know more. Once we spoke to him, he was convinced. A patient is eligible for clinical trials only if he or she has completed more than two weeks after getting the infection.” He said, “Though three others have come forward, they have not fully enrolled yet. We need to counsel them and take their consent. We have also reached out to 140 discharged patients. The donation takes just one hour and transfusion to the patient takes one more hour. Once the plasma is donated, it can be immediately given to a patient.
The donor will not face any problem as it is completely safe. As per the present protocol, plasma from one donor is given to one patient.” A separate block has been identified at HCG Hospital for donors. Rao said that they will soon come out with a hotline that will answer all queries of donors concerning donation. “We have created a donor protocol standard operating procedure detailing how donors can donate. We will jointly work with the Indian Institute of Science and National Institute of Virology,” he said. On how the therapy works, he said that the convalescent plasma from a recovered patient contains antibodies and proteins that help fight diseases or viruses.
“The therapy can help critically ill COVID- 19 patients.” At the inauguration, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said, “This is a historic moment for the state and we are confident that the therapy helps serious Covid19 patients. I have always maintained that plasma treatment is very effective for patients in critical condition.” The Union Directorate of Public Health recently gave permission for the therapy, while the state government picked Dr Vishal Rao to conduct clinical trials.