Plasma therapy no magic bullet: Experts

New Delhi, May 4

The convalescent plasma therapy is no “magic bullet” to deal with coronavirus, and only large-scale controlled trials can ascertain its efficacy as part of the treatment strategy, top medical experts said on Monday, even as several states are considering the use of the therapy to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients.

Delhi AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said there had been very few convalescent plasma therapy trials, and only in very few patients it has shown some benefit. There is no study to suggest that “it is a magic bullet” or it will make a dramatic difference, but it is part of the armamentarium of treatment that physicians have along with other drugs, he said.

Dr Vivek Nangia from Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, said the therapy is only in the experimental stage, but it is promising as there is a clinical knowledge involved, and also some experiments and past experience behind it having been used for SARS and H1N1 epidemics in a limited manner.

Professor Rajesh Malhotra from AIIMS, said there iwa no concrete evidence of this therapy’s usefulness. — PTI