Mumbai | 22nd June 2020: For those worried about using plasma therapy against COVID-19, there’s some good news. Even as Glenmark announced a wonder drug to cure the dreaded disease, a new study has confirmed that using blood plasma can boost immunity for COVID-19 patients.
Dr Vinodkumar Bagdu, from Bagdu Health Services Pvt Ltd said that the study validates their cause for plasma therapy in India. His company distils blood plasma through a blood component separation process, from blood collected at blood banks.
“We’ve been talking about the need for government support for plasma therapy for some time. The study proves how convalescent plasma therapy, which has been successfully proven against Influenza and Ebola, will work in this case too. I hope that the ICMR and government steps forward to support this piece, alongside with other supporting treatment for COVID-19”, said Dr Bagdu.
Entrepreneur Prashant Karulkar has also urged the government to support the use of plasma therapy. “Plasma therapy is safe, inexpensive and leads to lesser death rates – even the doctors heading the study have acknowledged it. It’s time that the national government promotes it as a cure – helping secure blood plasma supply from recuperating patients, supporting costs and promoting its use across India.”
Right now, plasma therapy has been used to treat patients in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi. Delhi’s health minister Satyendra Jain has also received plasma therapy for COVID-19.
