SARS-CoV-2: Can Antibodies From The Blood Of Healed People Help?
Antibodies from the blood of people who have overcome Covid-19 could help other infected patients. What do we currently know about this therapy? Find out more about it today.
The new coronavirus changed the world in just a few weeks. There is still no specific treatment because we know too little about SARS-CoV-2. However, scientists are researching a possible therapy with blood plasma of recovered people, which contains antibodies.
Researchers around the world are investigating various treatment options to help seriously ill patients with Covid-19. We know more and more about the death rate, different therapies that are being tested, and the general behavior of the virus.
In today’s article we are talking about a study that investigates treatment with antibodies from the blood plasma of recovered people. This technique is also successfully used with other pathogens from the coronavirus family.
How can antibodies from the blood plasma of healed people help?
Antibodies from the blood plasma of healed people are a new technique for the treatment of Covid-19 that needs to be investigated more closely. However, this method has already been used successfully in the past for other infectious diseases such as Ebola.
This method of treatment relies on a mechanism known as passive immunization. When a patient overcomes an infectious disease, they develop specific antibodies against the causative virus. These can be found in the blood and have the ability to neutralize the virus. These antibodies are also said to help other people fight the disease.
This method is currently used in the UK, various cities in Spain and elsewhere. However, it is only suitable for seriously ill patients who are in critical condition. In addition, it must be proven that the donor of the blood plasma has completely eliminated the virus from the organism.
Antibodies for corona patients: how does this therapy work?
In order to be able to carry out the therapy with antibodies, certain requirements must be met. As already mentioned, only those people are allowed to donate blood who are completely cured and no longer carry the coronavirus.
A PCR test can confirm this. In addition, there must be no symptoms. Antibody therapy is only used in patients in critical condition because this treatment method has not yet been adequately investigated and its effectiveness has not been proven.
The donor’s blood plasma, which contains the antibodies to theoretically neutralize SARS-CoV-19, is tested for the number of antibodies. In addition, other diseases must also be excluded in the laboratory analysis. Then the seriously ill patient receives a blood transfusion in his acute phase.
Blood plasma of healed people: summary
The use of blood plasma with antibodies has been used therapeutically for a long time. This enabled good successes to be achieved against the Spanish flu and Ebola, for example. However, we must not forget that the studies on this have not been completed in the case of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
It is an interesting treatment option that is already being used, even if its effectiveness cannot yet be sufficiently guaranteed. Most scientists, however, expect good results.
