Tests for antibodies to the new virus have already been developed in several countries. For example, the University hospital of Zurich a few days ago presented a test which allows the blood test to identify antibodies to the virus, which are formed by the immune system during infection and are detected in the body after recovery. So far the tests could detect COVID only at the stage of the acute phase of the disease — strokes.
as for antibodies, they appear in the blood after any infectious processes and stored in the body for some time (sometimes a lifetime). The duration of immunity is generated after infection COVID-19, is still unknown. But scientists from Bavaria found that a month after the disease antibodies in the blood is enough — so the minimum term immune protection is defined.
In Switzerland are already starting the mass testing for the presence of antibodies against Sars-CoV-2 in people without symptoms: the daily plan to test about 2,000 patients, according to the publication Tages-Anzeiger. “Thus, for example, you can identify employees who already have antibodies against coronavirus and which should not fear becoming infected when caring for patients COVID-19, as they already have immunity to the virus,” say the developers of the test.
the most important thing that can give the new tests is the possibility of protection of new infections in the initial stages. Speech, in particular, on the application of the serum with antibodies from the blood of Ebola survivors to treat patients. This, in particular, told medical scientists from the School of public health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. This so called passive therapy with antibodies developed in the late nineteenth century and at the time, used to combat measles, polio, mumps, can be a salvation for a period until there is a vaccine (and it will take roughly a year). Serum can act as a prototype vaccine, which, of course, will not give full protection but at least for a time will help to slow the spread of COVID and create a time gap to create a vaccination.
As told to “MK” leading researcher of the research Institute of Virology, Nikolay Malyshev, the introduction of such sera to this day is used in the prevention and treatment of some infectious diseases: “for Example, are used measles immunoglobulin, anti-tetanus serum, anti-rabies serum rabies serum with tick-borne encephalitis virus, even the flu. The method is based on the fact that injected into the blood of the sick of other people’s antibodies “grab” the pathogen and cause the virus inoperable. The total number of viraemia is reduced, and included protective forces of the patient’s body, which leads to the elimination (the conclusion) of the pathogen. Serums a lot today — both human and from animals (in tetanus, usually a horse). But this is only a temporary measure of protection: introduced in alien blood antibodies over time are washed out and don’t form strong immunity. “.
Anna Popova, presenting Russian development, noted that the test system will allow to identify, among the chief of the medical staff for those that already have immunity to the virus. Russian analysis will be completed within 2.5 hours, using the new test system will begin next week.
