Coronavirus Outbreak: AIIMS has started convalescent plasma therapy at various centres, says institute's director Randeep Guleria

New Delhi: AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria on Thursday informed that the use of convalescent plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patient has started at various centres in the country. [caption id=“attachment_8292611” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AIIMS director Randeep Guleria. ANI[/caption] “At various centres, we have now started using convalescent plasma that is the blood of COVID-19 patients who have recovered. A large number of patients who have become alright, have come forward and have volunteered to donate their blood,” said Guleria. “We are also looking at new drugs for the treatment, and various other repurposed drugs, which are already available in our country, are also being looked as treatment strategies,” he added. Emphasising that it is important to not stigmatise those who have recovered from COVID-19, Guleria said," This is a disease which is not that serious, 90-95 per cent people recover, if we have that stigma and we don’t come forward then we may land up in a situation where because of our delayed treatment we may have higher mortality." Follow LIVE updates on the coronavirus outbreak here Meanwhile, India’s count of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 21,393 after 1,409 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today.