Passive immunization may provide short-term fortification against COVID-19, say experts

With rising cases of COVID-19, the need for a vaccine or cure has become the need of the hour. But despite the best efforts of scientists, we may still be a long way away from one. We have seen many leads and false hopes till date. But so far, nothings to be working. Hence, all experts agree that for now preventive measures work best. They exhort all to follow all the precautionary measures diligently and be conscious of the fact that this disease does not discriminate between the rich or the poor.

We don’t have a vaccine yet. That is true. But trying to work around this problem, researchers from the Hashemite University in Jordan now say that passive vaccine or passive immunisation (PI) can provide instant, short-term fortification against infectious agents and slow down the spread of COVID-19. The International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine published this study.

What is passive immunization?

Scientists use the term passive immunization, when an antibody formed in one individual is given to another individual who is at risk of infection. However, it provides temporary protection only. According to researchers, “Using valuable plasma from recovered patients might be useful in our global war against COVID-19.” It can help in the prevention and treatment of viral infections. Experts say that it works best if it is introduced soon after symptoms show.

About the study

According to the study, after exposure to a viral infection, your body creates antibodies to fight off the virus. These antibodies are present in the blood of a recovered patient. Researchers say that these antibodies can be collected as convalescent plasma and transferred to the blood of a newly infected patient. This can neutralize the pathogen, eliminate it from the bloodstream and also boost immunity.

However, researchers warn that passive immunization does not provide long-term protection against the virus. But it can reduce the aggressiveness and mortality rate of infection.

Earlier use of passive immunisation

The use of this technique dates back to the beginning of the 20^th century. It was first used during the Spanish flu epidemic in the early 1900s. At the time, doctors saw that patients who received convalescent plasma serum had lower mortality rates than others. This was also used successfully on an experimental basis the Ebola virus, chikungunya virus and the H1N1 flu outbreaks. It was also seen to be highly effective during the the SARS-CoV epidemic in Guandong, China and the MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia.

According to another study, patients who received passive immunization had a significantly shorter hospital stay and lower mortality rate than other groups. Researchers also saw that patients who received convalescent plasma before day 14 of illness had a higher discharge rate. Moreover, healthcare workers who were infected with SARS-CoV and failed to respond to treatment survived after transfusion with convalescent plasma.

Implications of the findings

Researchers of the above mentioned study say that if you are looking for COVID-19 treatment, you will find it in the blood of survivors. According to them, at a time when no registered anti-viral drug or vaccine is available, passive immunization may help in slowing down the deadly virus and save lives. This may be particularly true for the elderly and patients with underlying health conditions. Till now, though COVID-19 has taken many lives, more that 1.5 million people have also recovered. Many of them may want to donate plasma to help slow down the pandemic. In the absence of a cure, this can very well be the best option for all right now.