Coronavirus – The world’s largest trial of plasma therapy was conducted in India in 39 hospitals. (Proceedings)
New Delhi:
Convalescent plasma therapy may be removed from the national guideline on coronavirus treatment, the head of India’s main medical research body ICMR, Dr. Balram Bhargava, said today at a Health Ministry briefing.
“We’ve had discussions about the (use of plasma therapy) at the national task force level … we’re getting there more or less,” said ICMR director general Dr. Balram, in response to a question. on continuous use of plasma therapy (CPT) despite the fact that an ICMR trial showed that it does not reduce mortality or delay the progression of COVID-19.
“The world’s largest trial of plasma therapy was conducted in India with 464 patients in 39 hospitals with over 350 authors. This article has been accepted for inclusion in the British Medical Journal and will soon appear as a full article on the role of plasma. COVID-19 therapy, “he said.
Reiterating that there was no scope to “lower our guard” despite the fact that the coronavirus peak has passed in India and Covid may “almost end in February”, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that “experts have said that the cases will increase again if the precautions are not taken followed “.
“All precautions must continue even when we have a vaccine,” Dr. Balram said, noting that the fight against COVID-19 would have to be fought for a long time even after India begins to inoculate its population of 1.3 billion.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had recently said that India would have a coronavirus vaccine early next year, and there were several pioneers.
“We have produced a Draft Prioritization Schedule (for vaccination) … we try to match the numbers with the number of doses that would be tentatively available from January to July. If current trials proceed according to plan, then the number dose will be enough to immunize those on the priority list, “said Health Secretary Bhushan.
He added that it will not be mandatory “to have a digital medical ID” to get vaccinated, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that such IDs would be given to all citizens.
“Our current National Digital Health Mission does not have digital IDs for everyone. Various types of IDs will be valid to get vaccinated,” he said.
When asked about efforts to contain Covid in Bihar, where large political demonstrations are taking place in Bihar without social distancing in contravention of government rules, Bhushan said it was a “political matter”.
“We regularly dispatch core teams. They will monitor the situation and make sure that the infection does not spread and the (Covid security) rules are followed,” he said.
Mr. Bhushan also shared data on the increase in the number of ICU beds and ventilators since April. While ICU beds in India increased from 23,815 to 77,316, ventilator beds increased from 11,993 to 39,527.
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