Two elderly COVID-19 patients with heart complications who were provided with a monoclonal antibody therapy last week at a leading Delhi-based private facility have both tested negative for the virus. This was announced by a senior doctor at the hospital earlier today.
According to an NDTV report, medical experts have said that the treatment would lessen the odds of hospital admission by 70 percent in patients who have mild to moderate COVID symptoms.
70-year-old Sunirmal Ghatak and 65-year-old Suresh Kumar Trehan were administered a cocktail of Casirivimab and Imdevimab at the BLK Hospital on June 1 as part of single-dose infusion-based therapy.
In a statement, the hospital had earlier said Ghatak, who has a known heart condition, had gone through angioplasty with stenting in the past.
Trehan, on the other hand, was admitted to the hospital more than a week ago with severe breathlessness. He was also unable to lie down because of respiratory distress.
His medical records showed Trehan did not have a previous history of any illness. According to the hospital, his echocardiography showed a strained heart.
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Negative Test for COVID-19 After the Therapy
What's good about the two senior citizens' condition was that both of them had an oxygen saturation level of higher than 95 percent and they had presented themselves to the hospital within three days of developing symptoms of COVID-19, the hospital said in a statement.
In a similar report, Devdiscourse said that according to BLK-Max Centre for Chest and Respiratory Diseases Senior Director Dr. Sandeep Nayar, the two men had already tested negative for COVID-19.
He added they were happy to report that they performed the RT PCR test on the two elderly COVID-19 patients eight days from developing symptoms and it turned out to be a "sure" negative.
The patients were administered the monoclonal antibody therapy within three days of getting their COVID-19 positive results.
The doctor added this is the "fastest ever recovery reported in patients," specifically in senior citizens who are suffering from comorbidities.
Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
Monoclonal antibodies are identical copies of antibodies that target one particular antigen. This therapy has previously been used to treat diseases like Ebola and HIV infections.
Studies show that this "antibody cocktail treatment" for the virus can prevent an increase of mild to moderate to severe cases of infection, which then necessitates hospital admission in 70 percent of the cases, doctors said.
The monoclonal antibody therapy can safely be called a "game-changer" in combatting COVID-19, Nayar explained.
Who Can Be Treated with mAB?
The treatment is most appropriate for high-risk COVID-19 patients who are within the first 10 days of onset of the symptom and meet the 65 years old age requirement.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, studies have already suggested that this treatment can decrease cases of COVID infections.
This amount is called a "viral load". Having a lower viral load means one may have milder symptoms, lessening the possibility of being admitted to the hospital.
One who has tested positive with COVID-19 and had symptoms for 10 days or less can be treated with mAB. Those who are at high risk of developing more severe symptoms can also get the same treatment.
Related report is shown on KJRH-TV's YouTube video below:
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