Coronavirus (Covid-19) Patient Study Paves Way for Efficient Vaccines

In a new coronavirus patient study, the scientists conducted multiple tests on a patient recovered from Novel coronavirus (Covid-19) infection. The main motto behind the coronavirus study of the infected patient seems to know the body’s response to battle the deadly pathogen. The patient’s condition in this scenario was described as mild to moderate. The new research paves the way for evaluating how healthcare professionals treating coronavirus patients will end up when it comes to the severity of symptoms. The latest research study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Observations and Implications of the Coronavirus Patient Study

The coronavirus outbreak has potential drastic implications across the globe. With the increase in the death toll of patients across the globe, active research is in place to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic. There was also a coronavirus close contact detection app

that alerts users from infected patients. In the latest, the researchers from Paul Doherty Institute of Infection and immunity have received the necessary permissions from the patient to participate in the research. The subject in the coronavirus patient study visited Wuhan, China, and fell ill soon after she arrived in Melbourne, Australia. During her stay in the hospital, the patient did not receive any drugs, nor she was put on a ventilator. The doctors treated the patient only with intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration.

As part of the study, scientists collected blood samples from the 47-year old at four different times, and it showed that the patient produced white-blood cells against the virus-infected cells. The patient started producing antibodies before the symptoms fully disappeared, and they stayed in the blood for about seven days after the infection subsided. Additional research is to be carried out on a larger number of patients to conclude. But the research is promising nonetheless, wherein the healthcare professionals would be able to assess the severity of the symptoms in patients. They can easily predict severe cases as well as milder cases. It would thereby assist in the development of coronavirus vaccines with maximum efficiency.

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The researchers are now looking into the aspects of patients’ immunologic memory. Unlike the case of coronavirus, the immunisation in case of flu or the common cold is temporary, and hence it requires seasonal flu shots. The new Covid-19 patient study could further pave the way to understand whether the patient’s antibody response is sufficient enough to offer protection in case of recurrence of the infection. Through this research, scientists can very well assess post-illness immunity in the case of coronavirus (Covid-19).

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