Mumbai, May 12: Amid rising cases of coronavirus in Mumbai, BMC-run BYL Nair and Kasturba hospitals have recieved permission for convalescent plasma trials. A fresh list of hospitals where convalescent plasma trials can be conducted was released on May 10 and BYL Nair and Kasturba hospitals featured in the revised list. The two hospitals were previously missing. More hospitals from Maharashtra and Mumbai are awaiting approvals. Plasma Therapy to Treat COVID-19 Patients: Do we Finally Have a Cure for the Novel Coronavirus? Here's How it Works!

According to ICMR, of 28 institutions that received permission for convalescent plasma therapy clinical trials for COVID-19 patients, six are from Maharashtra. Apart from Nair and Kasturba hospital, HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai also has the approval. The country's nodal research body said it had received expressions of interest from 113 institutions for the trials. Coronavirus Antibody Test: How Accurate Are The COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Tests and Where Can You Get It Done?

According to a report by TOI, 15 more hospitals from Maharashtra are on the ICMR's waitlist. It includes KEM Hospital and Institute of Immunohematology, which functions from the same campus. The convalescent plasma therapy involves transfusion of plasma taken from a positive COVID-19 patient who has recovered from the disease and which is transfused into another COVID-19 patient who is critical or likely to get critical.

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The number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra has risen to 23,401, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday. With 36 fatalities, the death toll also shot up to 868. The state recorded a jump of 1,230 cases in the past 24 hours. Mumbai alone has reported 528. The number of COVID-19 positive patients in the city has shot up by 782 to 14,521.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 12, 2020 11:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).