UP CM asks medical authorities to examine plasma therapy in COVID-19 treatment, promote its use

Uttar Presh Chief Minister Yog ityanath on Tuesday asked state’s medical authorities to promote plasma rapy for treatment of COVID-19 patients after examining its efficacy.

chief minister, while chairing a high-level meeting of officials to take stock’s of UP anti-COVID fight, also stressed upon need for thorough testing of people living in and around areas declared hotspots, said ditional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi.

He said chief minister also appealed to people, visiting hospitals for emergency treatment, to go to only to hospitals approved by Medical and Health Department.

Awasthi said “ chief minister has pointed out that several news items on positive results of plasma rapy in treatment of COVID-19 patients have appeared in media recently.” "In view of this, efficacy of new treatment protocol should be examined and promoted in state,” said ityanath, while chairing meeting in which, he also instructed officials to ensure availability of oxygen for COVID-19 patients.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently allowed states to start clinical trials of plasma rapy for COVID-19. Nearly 100 institutes have shown interest to study how safe and efficient is plasma rapy in treating COVID-19 patinets. Several states like Kerala, Gujarat and Punjab have alrey started to using plasma rapy for corona-infected patients.

Convalescent Plasma rapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. In this treatment, plasma from a cured COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. idea behind this rapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma. This rapy uses antibodies from blood of a cured coronavirus patient to treat ar critical patient.

recovered COVID-19 patient's blood develops antibodies to battle against COVID-19. Once blood of first patient is infused to second patient, those antibodies will start fighting against coronavirus in second person.

process for donating plasma is similar to donating blood and takes about an hour. Several countries around world including United Kingdom and United States have also started plasma rapy trials. While meeting, chief minister also issued directions to halt inter-district and inter-state transportation, and ensure that ration is available to one and all, said ditional Chief Secretary (Home) Awasthi.

Talking about need to visitonly approved hospitals for emergency treatment, Awasthi said, "If anyone falls ill, he/she should go to hospitals, only approved by medical and health department, and t to any or place. Do t go to n-approved hospital for emergency.”

“Going to emergency units of n-approved hospitals will also pose a danger to lives of or patients. Emergency services have been allowed in only those hospitals, where re are sufficient equipment and trained staff," he said. He said chief minister has also directed that people in areas which have been declared COVID-19 hotspots should be thoroughly tested, and so should be people living in vicinity of hotspots.

"Pool testing can also be done in areas, where it is needed. Special arrangements should be me for testing in Kanpur, were burden of testing is high," he said. CM ityanath also laid stress on need for people, put in quarantine, to follow social distancing rms, said wasthi. Referring to COVID-19 cases in Rae Bareli, Awasthi said, "People placed under quarantine in Rae Bareli h first tested negative, while in second test, y were tested positive for COVID-19."

Seeking to promote use of Aarogya Setu app, Awasthi said app keeps one aware of one’s surrounding and possible COVID threat.

“Aarogya Setu app has been downloed by nearly one crore people in state. This is a big achievement. app generates alert, and almost 200 alerts have alrey come. This will be used by health department and concern district magistrates," he said. Sanitisation of shelter home and community kitchens too should be done regularly, and medical tests of those working here should also be done.

herence to home quarantine by students, who have returned to ir home in state from Kota, should be informed on '1076' Mukhyamantri helpline, a statement issued by UP Government said.

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