Maharashtra Launches Convalescent Plasma Therapy Clinical Trial For 500 Patients

Maharashtra Chief Minister  Uddhav Thackeray launced Project PLATINA- a  convalescent plasma therapy trial cum treatment for 500 severe COVID-19 patients in the state.  This will be the world's largest trial to use convalescent plasma to tackle COVID-19.

The Maharashtra government has approved Rs. 16.65 crore for the project from the Chief Minister Relief Fund which aims to provide 400 ml of plasma to critical patients for free. This project will be undertaken at 17 medical colleges under the Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department as well as 4 hospitals under the BMC. So far, around 10 people have been provided plasma therapy, nine of whom have recovered and seven are even out of hospitals. 

Convalsecent plasma therapy was being carried out in Nair and Kasturba hospital in Mumbai through the ICMR's clinical trials for the same. It is when antibodies from recovered patients are inserted into critical patients to support their immune response to fight the infection.