COVID-19 patient at KIMS recovers after plasma therapy

For the first time in North Karnataka, plasma therapy has resulted in considerable recovery in a COVID-19 patient admitted in a coronavirus hospital at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi.

65-year-old P-2710, a lorry driver returned from Maharashtra, who was admitted at the KIMS COVID-19 hospital on May 27, underwent convalscent plasma therapy as part of 'A Phase II, Open Label, Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Safety & Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma to Limit COVID-19 associated complications in Moderate Disease' (PLACID trial) approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (IMCR), on May 28 and 29.

Now, doctors have found his symptoms like pneumonia and cough coming down drastically. 64-year-old graveyard guard (P-363), who tested positive for COVID-19 on April 18 and was discharged on May 8, has donated blood to extract plasma to be infused on P-2710.

"200 ml plasma was given for two consecutive days each, and the patient has shown promising improvements in his health indicators. Plasma therapy has reduced development of severe respiratory insufficiency. He is expected to recover fully in a few days. He will be discharged after testing negative for COVID-19 after 14 days of hospitalisation," said KIMS Director Ramalingappa Antaratnai.

This is the first plasma therapy conducted on a COVID-19 patient at KIMS, which was the first institute in Karnataka to get PLACID trial approval from the ICMR, has been fruitful. "For future use on other patients, we are contacting other district administrations to make arrangements to get plasma from COVID-19 recovered patients. Plasma can be stored for one year, "he said.

Dr Ram Kaulgud, Dr Eshwar Hasabi, Dr Sachin Hosakatti, Dr Shailendra, Dr Kavita, Dr Uday Bande and others were in the team of doctors which conducted plasma therapy.

"We have to counsel the recovered patient and his relatives to convince them to donate blood. People (recovered symptomatic patients) in the age group of 18 to 65 years can donate plasma, while patients above 18 years of age can receive. In this case, plasma was collected at Navanagar cancer hospital, and such a centre is now established at the KIMS itself,' Dr Sachin Hosakatti said.