COVID-19: Won't stop clinical trials of plasma therapy as initial results are good, says Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the Delhi government will not stop clinical trials of plasma therapy to treat severally-ill COVID-19 patients as its initial results are good.

The announcement came days after the centre said that plasma therapy for treatment of coronavirus patients is at an experimental stage and it has the potential to cause life-threatening complications.

Addressing an online media briefing, Kejriwal said that one patient, whose condition was serious, has been discharged from hospital after undergoing plasma therapy.

"We are not going to stop clinical trials of plasma therapy. We are getting good results of the therapy. However, it is on trial basis," he said.

We are contacting 1,100 people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma to save lives, he added.

We are conducting 2300 COVID-19 tests per 1 million people in Delhi, he said further.

To bring back students from Delhi who are stranded in Rajasthan's Kota - the coaching hub for engineering and medical aspirants the Delhi government will on Friday send 40 buses, the chief minister said.

The students will have to go into self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Delhi, he said.

He further said that free ration being provided to the needy in Delhi will be doubled to 10 kg.