Karnataka's first plasma therapy recovery in Hubballi

In a first in Karnataka, a COVID-19 patient who underwent convalescent plasma therapy at the COVID-19 hospital at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi has almost totally recovered. Authorities are expected to take a decision about the date to discharge him from the hospital shortly.

The 65-year-old P-2,710, a lorry driver from Hubballi who returned from Maharashtra, was admitted at the KIMS Covid-19 hospital on May 27. He had symptoms of cough, respiratory insufficiency like pneumonia, fever and weak blood.

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Luckily, a 64-year-old graveyard guard (P-363), who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 18, and was discharged on May 8, donated blood to extract plasma to be transfused to P-2710. He underwent plasma therapy on May 28 and 29. Symptoms came down drastically in two days, highly-placed sources in KIMS recall.

About 200 ml plasma was given for two consecutive days each. He recovered considerably within a week of the plasma therapy.

This was the first plasma therapy conducted on a Covid-19 patient at KIMS, which was the first institute in Karnataka to get approval for 'A Phase II, Open Label, Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Safety & Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma to Limit Covid-19 Associated Complications in Moderate Disease' (PLACID trial) by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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Dr Ram Kaulgud, Dr Eshwar Hasabi, Dr Sachin Hosakatti, Dr Shailendra, Dr Kavita, Dr Uday Bande, and others were in the team of doctors which conducted the plasma therapy, sources added.

'No infection now'

"Symptoms of P-2710 who underwent plasma therapy have almost disappeared, and he is tested negative for Covid-19 infection," confirmed a KIMS source on condition of anonimity. Official announcement by the district administration is awaited.

"The District administration has provided us a Rs 25 lakh multi-purpose machine to store plasma packets of 200 ml each, where around 500 packets can be stored at a time. We have also convinced first Covid-19 patient in the district, a foreign returnee, to donate plasma, and he has already done so. We are approaching other cured patients also, and other district administrations to make arrangements for plasma donation to KIMS, for future use, the doctor said.

There are some criteria for plasma donation. Blood group of plasma donor and receiver should match, a doctor added.

"His condition when he arrived was such that he should have been put on ventilator in a couple of days. After one week of plasma therapy, his condition improved 50%. Now, only a small problem is seen in his X-ray report, which can be cured during home isolation. He would be probably discharged on Wednesday (June 17)," said Dr Kaulgud, who treated P-2710.