Success of plasma therapy will help in saving lives: Delhi Health Minister

A day after a hospital here said that plasma therapy has shown positive results on a critical COVID-19 patient, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said the success of the treatment can save a lot of lives.

"It is a good sign (that the therapy had positive results on a critical patient). The success of the plasma therapy will help in saving a lot of lives in Delhi," Jain said.

The Max Hospital in Saket here had administered plasma therapy on a critical coronavirus patient, with the treatment showing positive results and the patient was taken off ventilator support, the hospital said on Monday.

The 49-year-old man was the first patient who was administered plasma therapy at the hospital.

In convalescent plasma therapy, the antibodies of a person who has recovered from the virus are taken and transfused into a sick person (having the virus) to help boost the person's immune system.

Jain also said that the number of cases doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 in eight days in the city, adding the authorities are keeping a close watch on the doubling rate of the cases.

Delhi has so far reported 47 deaths and more than 2,150 coronavirus cases.-IANS