COVID-19 Assam: Plasma therapy not a magic bullet for all patients

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Even though initial results of the convalescent plasma therapy to treat serious COVID-19 positive patients in Assam have been found to be encouraging, doctors and Health experts have observed that the therapy cannot be taken as magic bullet for recovery of those infected by the virus. The observation has come at a time when the social media, news channels and other public platforms in the State are flooded with requests for plasma donors. A large number of recovered COVID-19 patients including Assam Police officials and personnel of the armed forces as well as other high-profile personalities have either pledged or already donated their plasma for people still under treatment. The Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) and other medical colleges in the State have set up plasma banks.

The therapy involves the transfusion of a recovered COVOD-19 patient's plasma into someone whose body has not been able to mount a strong enough response against the virus infection. The idea behind plasma therapy is to leverage the antibodies in a recovered patient's plasma to help others beat the disease.

"The initial results of the convalescent plasma therapy at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital have been very encouraging. Besides patients, a few doctors infected with COVID-19 have undergone such therapy and they have recovered. If patients are picked up correctly based on blood tests and certain clinical parameters, and at the right stage of the virus infection, there is a good chance of plasma therapy being successful," said a GMCH doctor.

However, another doctor at a leading private hospital pointed out that the plasma therapy is just one part of the treatment strategy for COVID-19 patients.

"The therapy helps improve a person's own immunity by giving what we call passive immunity because the antibodies in the plasma enter the blood and try to help fight the virus in the afflicted individual. But the therapy cannot be taken as a treatment to make dramatic difference in terms of recovery of all COVID patients," the doctor said.

"So far, no study has established the efficacy of the plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients. It's presumed to be effective. Many patients are getting better without it. It is too early to tell or conclude anything right now," another doctor said.

On other hand, a Health expert while quoting an interim analysis of a randomized controlled trial done at AIIMS in New Delhi recently, said that the convalescent plasma therapy did not show benefit in reducing mortality risk among COVID-19 patients.

During the trial at AIIMS, a group of patients was given convalescent plasma therapy along with the standard supportive treatment while the other group only received standard treatment. The number of fatalities recorded in both the groups was equal; and there was not much clinical improvement in the condition of patients.

"The AIIMS analysis is interim. So, comprehensive research and trials are must to reach at a scientific conclusion about efficacy of the plasma therapy. But for the therapy to be effective, plasma must contain a sufficient amount of neutralizing antibody against that infection," another doctor at GMCH said, adding "the therapy cannot be a magic bullet for all serious patients."

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