The new coronavirus pandemic is far from being contained, and more and more confirmed cases are being reported in various countries around the world.
Doctors around the world need time to treat critically ill patients, and some of their colleagues are trying to develop vaccines or new drugs to speed up the healing process.
The good news for people infected with the new coronavirus is that most people recover because of the body's immune system.
Australian researchers have figured out how the human body kills the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and their early results will help others develop new treatments to expand immunity and even eradicate the disease.
Australian researchers have found that the body fights the disease the same way it fights the common flu. This conclusion applies temporarily to patients with mild or moderate symptoms so that they can fully recover.
It is unclear how long immunity can last, and there is no guarantee that once cured, the body will not be infected with the same COVID-19 disease again.
"Before the patient recovered, the population of immune cells we had seen was the same as the cells we saw in the flu," Katherine Kedzierska, head of the laboratory, told ABC. "This information will enable We can evaluate any vaccine candidate, because in an ideal world, the vaccine would mimic the human immune response."
Researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunology are among the first researchers in the world to explain how the immune system responds to coronavirus, as they have been preparing for this threat for many years. by
The Research Readiness Platform led by infectious disease expert Irani Thevarajan has developed the logistics needed to respond to new viruses as quickly as possible. Existing protocols help them conduct research quickly, saving valuable time.
"Sometimes the delay can be months, and from patient to study it won't be completed in four weeks," she said.
Researchers analyzed a blood sample from a 40-year-old woman who was one of Australia's first coronavirus patients. She was admitted to hospital after a trip to Wuhan with symptoms including drowsiness, sore throat, dry cough and fever.
"We found the patient three days later and we could see immune cells in the blood. Based on our experience in influenza patients, we could predict their recovery, and that's exactly what happened in COVID-19," Kedzierska said.
In addition to developing vaccines, the new findings can help doctors determine a patient's condition. Markers in the blood can be used to see if a patient is experiencing more severe symptoms, which could be a key achievement against COVID-19.
The doctor will be able to tell the patient in advance if the condition is severe or mild and then take appropriate action.
The reasons why governments around the world are trying to limit the spread of disease are related to severe cases that must be admitted to hospitals, and treatments such as intubation and ventilation must be used.
The more people infected, the more severe cases require intensive care. This is the kind of thing that could cause the local medical system to collapse.
Scientists will also analyze the immune system's response in severe cases of COVID-19 to find new treatments.
Professor Kedzierska also pointed out that it is too early to say how the immune effect obtained will be. "The next question is whether the immune response keeps people immune for weeks, months, or years, so we are protected," she said.
But the answer will only emerge in the next few months, as researchers are examining patients who have recovered.
The COVID-19 coronavirus study by the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity has been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Full article here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0819-2
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