ICMR allows plasma therapy trials
New Delhi, May 8: India’s COVID-19 case count soared to 56,000 and fatalities to 1,886 on Friday, registering an increase of 3,390 cases and 103 deaths, with the doubling time reducing to 10.2 days, while ICMR gave a nod for clinical trial of convalescent plasma therapy for treating the patients.
Finding a possible treatment, Indian Council of Medical Research will conduct clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in 21 hospitals.
The Union Health Ministry data puts country’s recovery rate at 29.36 per cent with 16,540 Covid-19 patients cured till now, including 1,273 who recovered in past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, India’s case and fatality tally is fueled from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat and Punjab.
Maharashtra registered 1,216 fresh infections and 43 deaths, taking the count to 17,974 and fatalities to 694.
The central team, visiting Maharashtra advised to aggressively expand its isolation facilities and shift high-risk people in containment zones of Dharavi to institutional quarantine to curb community spread.
With 580 fresh cases, and two deaths, the pandemic tally in Tamil Nadu rose to 5,409 and fatalities to 37.
Delhi witnessed 448 fresh cases and one death, taking the tally to 5,980 and deaths to 66.
Gujarat added 387 fresh cases and 29 deaths, taking the total to 7,012 cases and 425 deaths.
Maharashtra registered the highest number of infections and deaths in the country.
As the cases continued to increase, the Health ministry said that the citizens have to learn how to live with the virus.
Addressing presser, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, Union ministry of health and family welfare said as many as 216 districts in the country have not reported any COVID-19 cases till now, 42 districts registered no new case in the last 28 days while 29 districts saw no new infection in the last 21 days.
Asked about AIIMS Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria’s remarks that the peak of the disease in the country may reach in June or July, Agarwal said, ‘If we follow dos and don’ts, we may not reach the peak in number of cases and our curve may remain flat.”
Referring to the train accident in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad, Agarwal said ‘As migrant workers return to their home states, it is essential that all guidelines and precautions regarding infection prevention and management are to be followed, and we request workers to understand that this is for their own benefit, their people, village and city.”
As the cases have started surging at a faster pace, railways has converted 5,231 coaches into COVID Care Centres which will be placed at 215 identified railway stations and be used for treatment of very mild and mild COVID19 patients.
