Plasma therapy for Covid-19 has no benefit, finds ICMR study

The finding of the study has been cited as one of the reasons the National Task Force is considering removing plasma therapy from the standard Covid-19 treatment protocol

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study that found no benefits of convalescent plasma therapy for Covid-19 patients was published in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal on Thursday. The study concluded that the therapy did not prevent progression to severe disease among Covid-19 patients.

The therapy involves the use of plasma of people, who have recovered from the infection, to aid the immune response of those still fighting it. (Representational photo/PTI File)

It found that the outcomes were almost the same for the two groups -- 235 who received two doses of convalescent plasma and 229 who received the standard care.

The therapy involves the use of plasma of people, who have recovered from the infection, to aid the immune response of those still fighting it.

The finding of the study has been cited as one of the reasons the National Task Force is considering removing plasma therapy from the standard Covid-19 treatment protocol.

Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain has supported the therapy having received it himself. “A study done by ICMR and AIIMS [All India Institute of Medical Sciences] did not see any breakthrough maybe. But our trial is underway and it is of course being done with the permission of ICMR. We have seen benefits of the therapy, with over 2,000 people having received convalescent plasma from our bank... I have myself benefited from the therapy,” Jain said this week.