US: Three Indian-Americans infected with coronavirus in critical condition

A doctor and an IT professional were among the three Indian Americans who have tested positive for novel coronavirus in Houston in the United States this week and are in a critical condition. 

The families of Rohan Bavadekar, an IT professional, and Lavanga Veluswamy, a doctor, made an urgent appeal for blood donation from anyone who has recently recovered from COVID-19.

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Rohan. 42, contracted the disease due to his recent travel history and his wife Manasi and three children have also tested positive for the deadly virus and are quarantined at their home. 

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Manasi and Dr Veluswamy's wife, who herself is a physician, have urged for blood donation with group A or AB for their coronavirus-infected husbands. 

The third Indian-American who is in the critical stage preferred to stay anonymous and is waiting for the plasma transfusion for the treatment at Memorial Hermann hospital here.

Doctors at the St Lukes and Memorial Hermann, said, that someone who has recovered from COVID-19 in the past two weeks and is now healthy would be the right match for the blood donation. They added that the hospitals are trying their best to find a plasma match. 

Sewa International, a nonprofit humanitarian charity, is working with the affected families and sharing the potential donor information. 

"Sewa International is collecting information of all potential donors and only the doctors can say if the donor matches or not after due testing and evaluation," Achlesh Amar, a volunteer of the group, said. 

Houston Methodist Hospital is the first hospital in the US to experiment with convalescent serum therapy for COVID-19 treatment.

"Convalescent serum therapy could be a vital treatment route because unfortunately there is relatively little to offer many patients except supportive care, and the ongoing clinical trials are going to take a while," Dr. Eric Salazar, a physician-scientist with Methodist's Research Institute, said in a statement. 

"We don't have that much time."

SEWA has appealed to the entire community through its 40-plus chapters in the US and through Facebook for the donation of plasma for the treatment. 

(With PTI inputs)