Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The Centre on Monday revised the clinical guidance for Covid-19 treatment, dropping the off-label use of convalescent plasma from the treatment protocol for adult patients.
The development came after a meeting of the ICMR-National Task Force for Covid-19 wherein all members voted in favour of removing the use of convalescent plasma from the guidelines.
The top ICMR scientist cited ineffectiveness and inappropriate use of plasma therapy in several cases behind the decision, saying it wasn’t found beneficial in reducing the progression to severe disease or death.
“The anecdotal evidence doesn’t support any role of plasma therapy. We also had to think of context and here, if something doesn’t work but still there is continuity in terms of false hope, then there will be unnecessary anxiety, panic and harassment.” Dr Samiran Panda said
The ICMR scientist, the head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division, also cited evidence published in BMJ that found no benefits of plasma therapy. He added that the ICMR had deliberated on the issue for months, after which the decision was taken on Monday.
