Italian and Qatari researchers are a joining forces to study the safety and effectiveness of using antibodies in plasma from people recovering from the novel coronavirus to treat patients who are severely ill with the disease.
The project involving the Qatar Foundation, the Hamad Medical Corporation (Doha), Mater Olbia Hospital and Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Italy seeks to establish if plasma from Covid-19 convalescents can rapidly improve the condition of critically ill patients and help them recover.
A cohort of 100 plasma donors and 100 recipients will be enrolled on the project, which will build on existing research by numerous studies around the world. Work done in China highlighted the potential of this treatment, which also showed promise with viruses that are very similar to Sars-CoV-2 (Covid-19).
Unluckily, uncertainty still surrounds several aspects of this type of treatment, which require further research. For example, the proportion of patients convalescing from Covid-19 who can develop a sufficient quantity of antibodies, how long it takes for these to appear after a person has been infected and how long they remain.
Further research is also needed on the qualitative aspects of the antibodies like the IgG class and subclasses which are responsible for protective and 'neutralizing' activities.
