Covid-19 therapy
Treatment requires the full range of high-performance medicine in order to save patients with a severe course of disease. So far, there is no therapy that works against the virus itself. Antibodies can therefore be a natural, available option
Intensive care
Intensive care is indispensable for severely ill Covid-19 sufferers and has up to now been the only way to help.
Antibodies
Antibodies from immunity donations could be the first therapy available.
Medication
Studies with various medications are currently under way. Up to now there are no resilient results.
Prevent severe courses of the disease!
Why your antibodies are so important
Anyone can be affected by a Sars-CoV-2 infection - and everyone can develop a severe course of the disease. Fortunately, the German health-care system can help many of these patients suffering from a life-threatening course with intensive medical care. Unfortunately, capacities are limited which means that at some point not every patient could be optimally cared for.
Many scientists believe that an early application of antibodies can lessen the course of Covid-19 disease. That means: Fewer patients will need a place in the intensive care units. This relieves the burden on the medical care system and improves patient care overall.
Your antibodies make it possible!
And if enough people make an immunity donation maybe a lot more people can soon benefit from the positive effects. e.g. It would be possible to give patients from a defined age onward antibodies even if there is no severe course of disease apparent.
Frequently asked questions
How is Covid-19 treated?
The therapy aims to stabilize the patient's circulation and further complications such as to avoid bacterial infections. Oxygen is given for moderate courses, mechanical ventilation is required for severe courses. The ECMO process is also used. Blood is extracted out of the body and returned back enriched with oxygen.
Which medications are effective against the new coronavirus Sars-CoV-2?
Studies with various drugs are currently underway in Germany and worldwide. Some of them have had positive results in individual cases. Up to now it is still unclear whether these results can be repeated and whether the active ingredients are safe.
Some of the active substances act directly against the virus. Others intervene in the immune system and try to control the immune reactions so that e.g. organ damage can be avoided in the lungs.
At the moment, most patients are being treated with drugs that counter the effects of the infection. This is done e.g. to avoid further infections of the lungs by bacteria or to stabilize the circulation.
How do immunity donor antibodies work in Covid-19 patients?
There are no detailed studies available yet. In general, antibodies act like a specific label. They swim through the blood, so to speak, and dock at a suitable point, in this case a new type of corona virus. This marker acts like a light signal so that the patient's immune cells can find and eliminate the pathogen.
Why can't you just ventilate the patients until they are well again?
Ventilation places a heavy burden on other organs. In the end, heart failure is the cause of death in many Covid-19 patients. However, other organs can also be damaged and fail due to the intense treatment.
Does Covid-19 only affect the lungs?
No. Although the lungs are responsible for a severe course in most cases, studies have shown that the virus can also directly affect other organs such as e.g. the liver or intestines. It is believed that some of the patients suffer from diarrhea for this reason. Reversible nerve damage in the ear from hearing loss to deafness has also been reported from Iran. In Germany, a study by the University of Bonn found that the sense of smell and taste was often severely impaired.
Does Covid-19 cause long-term damages?
There are some studies that show impaired lung capacity. However, the observation period has so far been too short. It is possible for the damage to recede in whole or in part. Depending on the course, other organs can also be damaged. However, it is possible that some of the damage cannot be reversed.