DTMT Network
After two elderly patients were cured of COVID-19 through convalescent plasma therapy in South Korea, now doctors in Kerala will use this method to treat patients suffering from the deadly virus.

It is reported that the Kerala government has received permission from Indian Council of Medical Research on April 8, 2020, for research protocol which allows clinical trials for this therapy.

Dr Asha Kishore, Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology an Institution of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology, informed the media that convalescent plasma therapy would be undertaken as a research project to assess the effectiveness of the therapy.   

Mr Rajan N Khobragade, Principal Health Secretary, Kerala, told the media that the state has received the permission from ICMR for this research protocol on April 8, 2020. Dr RR Gangakhedkar, Chief Epidemiologist, ICMR, informed that they have given permission for the same.

He added that the clinical trial under this protocol would need permission form the DCGI, Ethics Committee and Clinical Trials Registry.

It may be noted that two elderly patients have recovered from the corona virus in Seoul Hospital in South Korea after they were treated with convalescent plasma therapy.

This therapy involves transfusing certain components from the blood of individuals, who have had the virus and recovered, into people who are very sick with the virus or people who are at high risk of getting the virus.