Excellent results of plasma therapy and Remdesivir combo, Goa to tell ICMR

PANAJI: The Goa government will intimate the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) about the “excellent results” it has seen in Covid-19 patients who were given the convalescent plasma therapy. Recently, the apex body in the country for formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, had indicated that therapy may be removed from the national treatment protocol for Covid-19.
“We will inform ICMR that our preliminary result of plasma therapy in combination with Remdesivir in Covid patients having diabetes has been very promising.We would like to continue with the treatment regimen,” GMC dean and in-charge of the state’s Covid hospitals, Dr S M Bandekar said.
More than 450 patients have been given plasma therapy so far and 90% of them benefited from it, Bandekar said.
Among the prominent persons who received the therapy and recovered are Union Ayush minister Shripad Naik, former deputy chief minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar and director health services Jose D’Sa.
Two months ago, after the Covid mortality count rose, the state government started a drive to promote plasma therapy.
Initially, very few donors came forward to donate plasma, but the drive picked up after the state declared incentives for donors, like free medical check-ups and treatment for one year.
Bandekar said that they saw little or no results of convalescent plasma therapy among patients who came late for medical help. The therapy has to be administered within the first three days of the patient showing symptoms of the virus for better results, he said.
Recently, the GMC also acquired a second apheresis machine — a device that receives blood removed from a donor’s body and separates it into its various components such as plasma and platelets.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that as per study Remdesivir, the antiviral drug, did not reduce Covid deaths.
About 80% of the severely ill Covid patients in GMC were treated with Remdesivir. Until last week there were 1,431 admissions in GMC and 291 deaths. The GMC dean said that the combination of plasma and Remdesivir have shown positive results.
Till date, Goa has reported 565 Covid-related deaths with the majority seen having comorbidities.