The treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms with an antibodies’ cocktail of Casirivimab and Imdevimab has reduced the treatment period from 13 to 14 days to 5 to 6 days and only one out of around 200 patients required oxygen supply, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday.
The civic body treated 200 patients with the cocktail at the Seven Hills hospital in Andheri, and according to officials, the results were encouraging. The BMC said that only one (0.5%) patient required oxygen supply after this line of treatment and the death rate came down by 70%.
A total of 212 patients were given the cocktail through saline bottle and the results of 199 had been received. Out of these, 101 were from the 18 to 45 age group, 45 from the 45 to 59 age group and 53 from above 60 years. Out of the 199, 74 had at least one comorbidity. Before the start of the treatment, 179 had fever, while 158 had cough and fever. Also, four patients were to be put on oxygen supply. The average HRCT (High-resolution computed tomography) score was seven to eight, while the highest was 11.
BMC officials said fever subsided within 48 hours upon receiving the treatment and only one patient needed oxygen supply. “More importantly, none of the patients showed side-effects of the cocktail,” said an official, adding that this treatment avoided the use of Remdesivir and other steroids, which is a positive sign. “This will also reduce the cost of the treatment and since hospital time is curtailed, it will ease the pressure on the medical system,” the official noted.
Tried in U.S.
The antibodies’ cocktail treatment was being tried in the U.S. since November 2020 and former president Donald Trump too underwent a similar treatment. The antibodies medicines were registered with India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation on May 10, 2021, and the Drug Controller General of India has given permission for its use.
According to the BMC, this treatment could be carried out on those above 12 years and with a weight of over 40 kg and with mild to moderate symptoms. Those who were presently not on oxygen but faced the possibility of health deterioration could get this treatment. It could also be done on patients with any comorbidity such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart problem, asthma, high blood pressure, sickle cell or brain related problems.