E-Paper
ICMR warns against ‘indiscriminate’ use of plasma therapy
As per ICMR advisory, the potential recipients include patients in early stages of the viral disease, 3-7 days from the onset of symptoms, but not later than 10 days; and having no IgG antibody (which is the longer lasting antibody against Sars-Cov-2) against Covid-19 using appropriate confirmatory test.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday issued a new advisory on convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) that lays down specific criteria for its use to stop indiscriminate use in the treatment of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“Benefits of CPT in improving the clinical outcomes, reducing severity of disease, duration of hospitalization and mortality in Covid-19 patients are dependent on the concentration of specific antibodies in convalescent plasma that could neutralize the effects of SARS-CoV-2. It is speculated that convalescent plasma having low concentration of specific antibody against SARS-CoV-2 may be less beneficial for treating Covid-19 patients as compared to plasma with high concentration of such antibodies,” said the ICMR advisory.
“This advisory therefore embraces the principle that a potential donor for convalescent plasma should have sufficient concentration of antibody working against Covid-19... It also highlights that presence of antibody against Covid-19 in a potential recipient makes transfusing convalescent plasma a futile intervention,” it further said.
As per ICMR advisory, the potential recipients include patients in early stages of the viral disease, 3-7 days from the onset of symptoms, but not later than 10 days; and having no IgG antibody (which is the longer lasting antibody against Sars-Cov-2) against Covid-19 using appropriate confirmatory test. An informed consent has to be taken from the recipient or their family before transfusing convalescent plasma.
To donate, ICMR says only men, and women who have never conceived, and are between 18 and 65 years , are eligible.
“There were reports of misuse of this experimental therapy, and that was being given randomly, which is why the advisory had to be put out,” said a senior ICMR official who did not wish to be identified.
