Health minister Satyendar Jain’s condition improves after plasma therapy

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain’s condition has improved after receiving plasma therapy for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Friday night at Max hospital,

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain’s condition has improved after receiving plasma therapy for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Friday night at Max hospital, Saket.

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The minister’s fever has subsided and he is off oxygen support, according to hospital sources. He is currently stable and is being monitored by a team of critical care specialists in the hospital’s intensive care unit, according to sources.

Convalescent plasma therapy uses a component of the blood called plasma, which is rich in virus-fighting antibodies, from someone who has recovered from the infection, to boost an infected person’s immunity.

The therapy is currently provided only under a multi-centric a clinical trial that is being spearheaded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). In Delhi, seven hospitals are enrolled for the trial, including Max Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Jain, 55, had tested positive for the infection on Wednesday, after testing negative a day before that. He had been admitted to the Delhi-government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur on Monday night with a high-grade fever and low oxygen saturation. He had attended an all-party meeting held by the Union home minister Amit Shah the same day.

The infection usually causes severe symptoms in older people and those with comorbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney or heart disease. His CT scan on Friday afternoon showed that the pneumonia patch in his lungs had increased. He was moved to the intensive care unit of the hospital in the morning.

As his symptoms worsened, the minister was shifted to Max hospital, Saket. Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday had tweeted, “Praying for the speedy recovery of Shri Satyendra Jain, Health Minister of Delhi who is battling with COVID-19 infection.”