Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Delhi AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday on the ICMR’s observation on plasma therapy for coronavirus infected patients said it is too early to say about it as we need to look at more data, news agency ANI reported.   

In an ICMR study, a large number of COVID-19 patients, who were given plasma, already had antibodies for the coronavirus, Guleria told ANI, adding that in such cases, giving antibodies from outside may not be of much use. 

Also Read | Centre considering removing plasma therapy from COVID-19 management protocol

Guleria’s statement comes after the Indian Council of Medical Research on Tuesday said that they and the national taskforce are discussing with the joint monitoring group to remove the convalescent plasma therapy from the national guidelines. 

“Plasma is not a magic bullet,” the AIIMS Director said. Rather than saying everyone will benefit from the plasma therapy, we have to position it properly, he added. 

Presently, the use of off-label convalescent plasma for treating COVID-19 patients in the moderate stage of the illness is allowed under “investigational therapies”.

Also Read | For the first time in 3 months, India’s daily COVID-19 cases below 50,000 mark

Guleria said, “What we are learning from COVID-19 is that treatment may be useful if the timing is proper.”

India on Thursday recorded a spike of 55,838 new cases of COVID-19, taking the tally of coronavirus in the country to 7,706,946. The death toll from COVID-19 now stands at 116,616.