"No Evidence To Support Plasma Therapy As COVID-19 Treatment": Government

New Delhi: Plasma therapy for coronavirus is still in an experimental stage and can even prove "life threatening" for a patient, the government said today amid a surge of hope brought in by the first successful test in Delhi.

There is "no concrete evidence to support plasma therapy as coronavirus treatment," senior health ministry official said today during the ministry's daily briefing.

"The therapy is still in an experimental stage and the Indian Council of Medical Research is conducting a national study on it. It can even be life threatening, he added.

Delhi had reported the country's first plasma therapy success story last week, the patient was a 49-year-old man who got treatment at a private hospital. The positive result triggered a rush to donate plasma and Mumbai today started its plasma therapy trial.

Plasma Therapy - which was expected to take a step forward in the country with clinical trials -- involves transfusion of plasma from a convalescent coronavirus patient to a critical patient. The blood of a convalescent patient is rich in antibodies that are expected to help the critical patient recover.

Doctors said one donor can donate 400ml of plasma, which can save two lives.

(Inputs from ndtv.com)