Kochi: Kerala Government is leaving no stone unturned to contain COVID-19 even as other states stole a march on it of late. The administration has now been instructed to provide antibody cocktail treatment to COVID-19 patients. The cocktail is effective when administered immediately after a patient shows symptoms of a viral infection.
The selected hospitals have been asked to submit a daily list of patients who could be administered the drug. The medical board will make a decision on patients, aged above 60, who could receive the antibody cocktail.
The State government had approved the antibody cocktail treatment early last month.
The decision to administer a monoclonal antibody cocktail was made after the stock of the drug nearing its September 30 expiry date.
What is it
A monoclonal antibody cocktail is a combination of two or more monoclonal antibodies administered to a patient.
Stock with Kerala
The Central government had provided the drug to treat patients in the high-risk category. Priced Rs 60,000 in the open market, the antibody cocktail was provided free of cost to the State.
The State had received 2,335 vials of monoclonal antibody cocktails from Germany through HLL Lifecare in May. Each vial contains two doses, and it was administered to patients in some districts, including Kollam.
Kerala now has a stock of more than 1,000 doses, and these were provided to medical college hospitals.
A special medical board has been constituted to administer the doses issued to the Medical College Hospital at Ernakulam. The vaccine will be distributed through six hospitals in the district.
