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As Africa surpasses a one million coronavirus infections mark today, with South Africa having the most confirmed cases in the continent, a holy grail is much longed for now than ever before in the region.
Researchers in South Africa announced they have started to look into the possibility that blood from recovered COVID-19 patients – who naturally developed antibodies, can be used to treat those suffering from the same sickness.
The study is not new to the world of medicine. The US government has also recently made efforts to sponsor such studies.
The new South African study is backed by Johns Hopkins University findings that Convalescent plasma treatment does reduce the death rate of hospitalized patients.
South Africa’s trial is a first on the continent.
More than 600 volunteers of 18-65 age range have been rounded up to effect the trial that will run for 28 days.
The study is waiting for a nod from the health products regulator to begin the processes.
Plasma, the liquid part of the blood will be harvested from donors and tested on the 600 volunteers who will be grouped into two categories.
Half of these will get plasma and the other half a placebo.
“The hope is that antibodies in plasma will shorten and lessen the illness,” Karin van den Berg, head of transnational research at the South African National Blood Service, said in a statement.
South Africa has done a couple of trials before in a bid to find COVID-19 treatment.
Last month, the government approved trialing of weed or cannabis and imithi (traditional herbs) as a potential adjunct treatment for COVID-19 treatments.
The country is also leading one of the first African AstraZeneca’s ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in conjunction with the University of Oxford.
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