Kolkata: Although monoclonal antibody cocktail therapy has been removed from the compulsory covid treatment protocol in the state, the demand is still flowing from patients who want to accept it.
These, they believe, will lead to definite and early healing.
However, most hospitals have decided to use it only in symptomatic patients with co-morbidity and the rest are given normal covid care.
Despite being used firmly over the past few weeks, there has been no “conclusive, impartial and sustainable evidence” in the effectiveness of cocktail therapy to include it in the treatment protocol, said RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) intensivist Sauren Panja.
“We use it to senior citizens who are symptoms.
It has received around 70% of effectiveness, so there is no magical drug therapy.
More importantly, all patients do not need it, especially those without symptoms.
So, we now follow a strict policy to give it to the patient 60-plus with symptoms, “Panja said.
Rush for therapy was triggered by the fact that it was new and promising healing, according to the Institute of Post-Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER) Professor Diptendra Sarkar.
“This might not be effective against Omicron, which is a mutated tension.
More importantly, it will be in vain in young patients without co-morbidities because they just don’t need it,” he said.
Hospitals begin to use therapy because it allows them to care for patients in everyday care and release them, keeping the bed remain low.
Hospitals such as Belle Vue Clinic and Woodlands use it in more than 50 patients each since last week and 80% of them were released in a day.
“Clinic consultants will receive a last call on any patient’s clinical management, including Covid, based on cases-to-cases.
We have received a new protocol and will obey it,” said Rupali Basu, Managing Director & CEO, Multispeciality Woodlands Hospital.
Hospital Medica Superspecialy continues to use it to senior citizens with co-morbidity.
“We have a request for that even before the new protocol removes it.
But we continue to use it to those who really need it,” said Chairman Alok Roy.
At Peerless Hospital, the use of cocktail therapy has been restricted.
“Many patients still insist, but we only use it to those who have more symptoms than moderate,” said the source.