'A Lot Depends On Next 5-7 Days': AIIMS Chief On COVID-19

AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria says there are a number of trials going on with the drug remdesivir to see if it can be used in treatment of COVID-19. On plasma therapy, which involves injecting patients with rich antibodies of those who have recovered, Dr Guleria said plasma therapy has been used for multiple diseases including ebola. "The basic philosophy is that if an individual gets COVID-19 and recovers from it, he recovers by his own body's antibodies that are able to fight the virus. It means the antibodies stay in his blood. Once he's fully recovered, we will be able to extract the plasma and give it to a patient for helping in recovery," Dr Guleria said. "If this trend continues, if the curve remains flat, then gradually the number of cases will decrease. You may still have a few hotspots... A lot depends on how things behave in the next five to seven days," he said. "The last few days suggest we have stabilised the number of cases. If we are able to sustain this over the next five days or so, I will have confidence in saying we have achieved significant amount of success in not having a sharp spike," he added.