UP’s first Covid-19 plasma therapy recipient dies

LUCKNOW: A doctor from Orai and a former King George’s Medical University (KGMU) student, who was the first Covid-19 patient in the state to be given plasma therapy, died on Saturday afternoon, said a KGMU doctor. The doctor said the patient developed a severe kidney problem. He was a diabetic, and hence, his coronavirus treatment was a challenge. He was on ventilator support and doctors were trying to remove it gradually and had got partial success too. This was the second coronavirus death in the state capital, the earlier one being that of a 70-year-old man. KGMU is the first medical centre in the state to have provided plasma therapy to a coronavirus patient. The initial results had motivated the medical university to move ahead in the programme.

LUCKNOW: A doctor from Orai and a former King George’s Medical University (KGMU) student, who was the first Covid-19 patient in the state to be given plasma therapy, died on Saturday afternoon. The second coronavirus test report of both the doctor and his wife had come in negative during the day.

A second consecutive negative test report means the patient can be discharged if not ill otherwise. “He had improved and his oxygen support had come down to 30% from 100%. His lungs improved and they were clear of infection,” said Dr D Himanshu, the senior faculty member looking after patients in the isolation ward.

The doctor said the patient developed a severe kidney problem. He was a diabetic, and hence, his coronavirus treatment was a challenge. He was on ventilator support and doctors were trying to remove it gradually and had got partial success too.

Doctors had planned on discharging his wife, while further treatment was being planned for the doctor. The 58-year-old doctor remained under treatment at the King George’s Medical University for 14-days.

He was given plasma therapy treatment on April 26. Improvement after plasma therapy had given hope to medical experts regarding the therapy and its impact upon coronavirus patients.

“He was a 1981 batch student and was working in the government sector in anaesthesia department in a government hospital in Orai. His son is a medical student at the KGMU,” said Dr PK Gupta, a batch mate.

According to the KGMU authorities, the patient also had urinary tract infection for which treatment was being given.

KGMU is the first medical centre in the state to have provided plasma therapy to a coronavirus patient.

The initial results had motivated the medical university to move ahead in the programme.