A 54-year-old COVID-19 patient was administered the convalescent plasma therapy at the Kannur Government Medical College hospital here on Thursday.
The hospital claimed that the treatment was carried out for the first time in the district. The therapy was administered to the patient, an expatriate, who arrived on July 20 at the hospital with severe pneumonia, said M.M. Dileep, public relations officer of the hospital.
He said that the patient was on the C-PAP ventilator in the ICU. The treatment was conducted with the approval of the Kerala State Medical Board and the Ethical Committee as the health condition of the patient turned critical.
Convalescent plasma therapy is an experimental treatment that is used for people with severe COVID-19 symptoms. Persons who have recovered from the disease have the antibodies - the proteins the body uses to fight off infections, in their blood. The liquid portion of such blood is called convalescent plasma. This can be administered to persons suffering from a severe condition of COVID-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus. It also might help keep people who are moderately ill from becoming more ill and developing complications.
These antibodies will work against the virus in the infected patient. Because the treatment may have side-effects, doctors take into account the condition of each patient before administering the therapy.
Mr. Dileep said the plasma was taken from the blood of a patient at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and was administered to the patient at the Kannur Government Medical College Hospital. His condition, however, continued to remain critical, he said.
Principal doctor K.M. Kuriakose; Medical Superintendent K.Sudeep; nodal officer of the Corona Medical Board, Pramod; and deputy nodal officer Suresh Kumar decided to administer the treatment with the support of the doctors on the COVID-19 medical board of the hospital.
