Just In
- 40 min ago Hanuman Jayanti 2024: These Are Lord Hanuman's Favourite Zodiac Signs, Check Out The List!
- 1 hr ago Arushi Sharma-Vaibhav Vishant Wedding, Love Aaj Kal 2 Actor Looks Resplendent In A Pastel Ethnic Outfit, Pics!
- 4 hrs ago What Your Tongue Reveals About Your Health: Wellness And Warning Signs You Need To Know
- 5 hrs ago How Can You Protect Yourself From Extreme Heat? Dos And Don’ts To Follow
Don't Miss
- News Congress Will Do X-Ray Of Wealth, Distribute It To 'Select' People: PM Modi
- Sports CHE vs LSG My11Circle Prediction IPL 2024 Match 39: Chennai vs Lucknow Fantasy Tips & Expert Picks
- Movies MasterChef India Telugu New Episode: Chef Nikitha Umesh On MasterChef Telugu Top 10 Contestants
- Finance SEBI Investigates Adani Offshore Funds For Shareholding Disclosure Violations
- Technology Sony’s Critically Acclaimed Helldivers 2 Rumored to Release on Xbox, Claims Industry Insider
- Automobiles Log9 Unveils Amphion & Nexmile – Revolutionizing EV Asset Management
- Education Students of the Canadian International School in Bangalore Raise Nearly 60 Lakh Rupees for Bangalore NGOs
- Travel Kurnool's Hidden Gems: A Guide To Exploring India's Lesser-Known Treasures
Coronavirus: Can A Survivor’s Blood Help Fight The Virus In Another?
According to recent reports, the FDA is working on a treatment for the coronavirus infection with blood from recovered patients.
As of today, there are 382,750 coronavirus cases with 16,578 deaths. On a hopeful note, 102,522 have recovered.
Not A New Method, But A Very Old One
According to a team of researchers from Scripps Research and UC San Diego, people who have recovered from the coronavirus are required for blood donation because there is a possibility of using blood plasma donated by recovered coronavirus patients as a promising short-term treatment for the virus [1].
The researchers pointed out that this method of using the blood of survivors to fight the virus in people who have been tested COVID-19 positive is not a new measure but something that had been followed in the medical world for years.
Antibodies Keep You Healthy
Antibodies are protein that is required by your body, to keep you healthy [2]. Acting as shields against diseases, the antibodies identify and attempt to neutralise harmful viruses and bacteria entering your body.
The principle is that when pathogens such as the viruses enter your body, the immune system produces antibodies that attach to the pathogens and destroy them[3]. Once recovered, those antibodies remain circulating in a person's blood, for months to years. Therefore, when the antibodies of a survivor are transferred to that of the infected person, they can help the immune system fight off the virus [4].
According to health experts, "In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic with no vaccine or antiviral drug coming soon, antibodies from recovering patients could provide a 'stopgap' measure" [5].
"In addition to public health containment and mitigation protocols, this may be our only near-term option for treating and preventing COVID-19," they added.
Blood Donors Wanted
The study, which is undergoing currently, is assimilated to be an effective way of saving the lives of people affected by the coronavirus. The scientists are looking for blood from COVID-19 survivors who are willing to donate blood that would be screened for antibodies capable of fighting the virus [6].
According to WHO health experts, "drug-based antibodies are used to treating everything from cancer to autoimmune diseases to blood clots. We're particularly interested in finding blood donors who have been recovered from the coronavirus for a month or two. Antibodies tend to improve with time" [7].
The Scripps Research-UC San Diego team only needs five to 10 COVID-19 survivors to get enough blood to search for useful antibodies, but as the team reported, findings donors is not an easy task.
However, Limitations Are Endured
Although the group of researchers have reached almost close to a solution, they are yet to produce a test that can definitively determine if a person had COVID-19 and survived it, which poses as a limitation for the effective execution of the study.
"We can isolate the antibodies in a matter of days and show if they are effective within days or weeks, but producing them in large amounts is harder. We need the pharmaceutical industry for that. It would take months to get enough antibodies to treat large numbers of people. The antibodies wouldn't be available to help with what's going on right now" [8].
"But sooner, the better" added the team.
Who Are Not Eligible For The Vaccine?
The world as a whole is waiting for a vaccine against coronavirus but even when it arrives, not everyone will benefit. Individuals with a weak immune system, such as the elderly and those with HIV, may not be eligible for the vaccine.
Also, the treatment is not without risks as there is the risk of giving a patient the wrong type of blood or inadvertently transmitting other pathogens in a transfusion. But, safety advancements over the past two decades assure the avoidance of risks.
An FDA spokesman said, "Until more effective drug treatments are ready, this might be our best option. We're working around the clock on this, dozens of us across the country, many of us working from our homes and through the weekends, because we don't have time to spare."
On A Final Note…
Currently, there are no vaccines for coronavirus infection. Until more effective drug treatments are ready, this is the best option of a cure, say health experts.
- healthCOVID Surge In India: Do You Need A COVID-19 Booster Shot?
- disorders cureCommon COVID Symptoms In Fully Vaccinated Individuals: What You Should Know
- wellnessMild COVID Linked To Life-Threatening Blood Clots, Increased Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease; Study
- wellnessCOVID-19 Variants In India: New COVID Variant May Pose Threat To Elderly People
- basicsCovid-19 Linked To Early Onset Of Periods: What You Need To Know
- wellnessCOVID XBB Variants Of Omicron In India: What You Should Know
- disorders cureNew Omicron Subvariant BQ.1 Detected In Maharashtra: What You Should Know
- disorders cureOmicron BF.7 In India, Risk Of Fresh Wave During Diwali: What You Should Know
- wellnessCoronavirus Residues Might Be Causing Long COVID: New Study
- wellnessCentury-Old TB Vaccine Could Be Effective Against Covid-19 And Other Infections: New Study
- disorders cureCovid-19 Patients At Risk Of Neurological & Psychiatric Conditions Two Years After The Infection: New Study
- wellnessCOVID In Smokers: An Expert Explains