Even as the coronavirus count continues its upward trend in Tamil Nadu, the good news is that the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital has achieved some success in blood plasma treatment of COVID-19 patients.

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Confirming the development to IANS, Jayanthi Rangarajan, Dean of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said: "We have achieved some success in blood plasma treatment of COVID-19 patients. The details are being collated." Meanwhile, as many as 765 persons including a less than one-year-old baby tested positive in Tamil Nadu over the past 24 hours, taking the total coronavirus count to 16,277. Included in the new infection numbers are 47 persons who have come to Tamil Nadu from other states and countries, the Health Department said on May 24.

According to the Health Department, eight COVID-19 patients lost their lives, the total death tally now stands at 111. A total of 833 COVID-19 patients were discharged from various hospitals in the state taking the total of those cured and discharged to 8,324. On May 24, 12,275 samples were tested, taking the total to 4.09 lakh. Testing of 648 samples is under process.

The state capital Chennai with its high density of population continued to see highest number of infections at 587 taking the total tally to 10,576. The number of infected children in the age group of 0-12 went up to 1,003. The total number of active cases in Tamil Nadu stands at 7,839.