Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. (File)
Highlights
- Satyendar Jain is being monitored by doctors at a Delhi hospital
- Satyendar Jain had first tested negative for the coronavirus
- Satyendar Jain is the 4th AAP leader to have tested positive for COVID-19
The condition of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, has improved after he was given plasma therapy at a private hospital.
According to doctors, the minister no longer has fever and his oxygen levels have also seen an improvement.
"The health condition of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has improved after being administered plasma therapy. His fever has subsided and oxygen level has improved. Doctors say that he can be shifted to the general ward by tomorrow," the Office of Delhi Health Minister said, according to news agency ANI.
The condition of the 55-year-old minister is improving and he is being monitored by doctors, officials said. A team of doctors from a few government and private hospitals has been kept on standby to assist the doctors attending to him, if needed, sources told news agency PTI.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader had tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) in the national capital after running high-grade fever and a sudden drop in oxygen levels. He had first tested negative for the virus. His second test, however, came out positive.
The minister was then shifted to Max Hospital's Saket facility in south Delhi on Friday, where he was given plasma therapy.
Plasma Therapy involves transfusion of plasma from a convalescent coronavirus patient to a critical patient. The blood of a convalescent patient is rich in antibodies that are expected to help the critical patient recover.
The centre had called it an experimental procedure and said there was "no concrete evidence to support plasma therapy as coronavirus treatment." There have been reports, however, of COVID-19 patients getting cured after being subjected to the procedure.
Many leaders including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lt Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal took to Twitter to wish Mr Jain good health and a speedy recovery.
Mr Jain is the fourth Aam Aadmi Party MLA to have tested positive for the coronavirus -- the other leaders who also have COVID-19 are Atishi, who represents the Kalkaji constituency in south Delhi, Vishesh Ravi (Karol Bagh) and Rajkumar Anand (Patel Nagar).