8 Covid patients receive antibody cocktail treatment
Kolkata: Around 8 Covid infected patients who are undergoing treatment at different private hospitals in the city have received an antibody cocktail — a combination of two injections for better management of patients.
The treatment was approved in India in May this year. Antibody cocktail application of a combination of two drugs gained popularity as it was applied on former US president Donal Trump after he was infected with Covid. It was learnt that 8 Covid patients are under treatment at three different private hospitals in the city.
"The antibody cocktail is a combination of two different drugs — Casirivimab and Imdevimab. Two drugs come inside the same package but in different vials. The antibody cocktail prevents the virus from entering the cells as a result there is no multiplication. It, therefore, prevents cells from getting damaged," said a senior doctor from a private hospital that has been treating 4 patients.
He also mentioned that if the combination of drugs can be applied to the patient within 3-4 days from contracting the virus then better results can be expected. However, the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization's (CDSCO) directives said that it can be applied within 10 days after a patient reports symptoms. It gave an emergency use authorisation in India. It cannot be administered to patients who are in ventilation support. Those who are not requiring oxygen support can be administered the antibody cocktail.
The price of a single injection is around 60,000. If the patients are in mild and moderate stages of Covid, this drug is much more effective compared to various other drugs. During the first wave, there were no medicines for Covid treatment but in the second stage, some drugs have come up, stated the doctor.
According to sources, the antibody came to the state last week. Patients who have received the combination of drugs are showing great signs of improvement, the doctor further mentioned.
"It has been noticed that it helps high-risk patients before their condition worsens and it also reduces the risk of severe complications," stated the doctor.
