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“Passive Immunotherapy (PIT) could offer an effective response to Covid-19” says Dr. Abraham Karpas

According to the BBC, the UK has started to work on a plan to treat Covid-19 patients with plasma obtained from individuals who were infected with the corona virus and who either remain well or who have recovered following their illness.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is asking those who have been infected with the virus and recovered to consider donating blood in order to assess the potential of such a treatment in a trial.

This approach is being considered around the world with some wondering why the UK is being slow to adopt this form of treatment.

Dr. Abraham Karpas, who was in the department of haematology of the University of Cambridge Clinical School for 36 years, pioneered passive immunotherapy (PIT) for AIDS patients 35 years ago (in 1985). He works closely with Collins Solicitors in relation to the ongoing UK Infected Blood Public Inquiry.

Without effective treatment for Covid-19, he is a keen advocate of using PIT in order to reduce the deadly effect of the virus.

“In the absence of any anti-COVID-19 virus treatment and its deadly effects, we need to explore the potential therapeutic effects of PIT.

Initially it would be for patients with very advanced Covid-19 and thereafter for all those who start to develop symptoms in the hope of preventing their deterioration, which in turn could lead to rapid recovery and greatly reduce the numbers who need intensive care.

It is not unreasonable to assume that corona-infected individuals who have recovered will have protective anti-viral antibodies in their blood that are likely to benefit ill patients.

In fact an American journal recently published a study of 10 very advanced corona patients who greatly improved following a single transfusion of 200 ml of plasma that was obtained from individuals who had recovered from the virus infection.

Since there are some ten times more individuals who have recovered from the virus infection and are likely to have anti-virus antibodies, it should possible to obtain sufficient amount of plasma containing anti-corona antibodies to treat all the ill patients.”

Des Collins, Senior Partner at Collins Solicitors, adds: “the whole world wants a solution to this crisis, and we should leave no stone unturned. Clearly we need to make sure that all clinical tests and appropriate safety are adequately considered, but the science of this approach, and the speed with which it could be put into place, do sound very promising.”
ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Des Collins, Senior Partner, Collins Solicitors, T) 01923 223 324, M) 07831 522 540 dcollins@collinslaw.co.uk
Dr. Abraham Karpas, Department of Haematology at Cambridge University Clinical School, ak10001@hermes.cam.ac.uk
Danielle Holliday, Partner, Collins Solicitors, T) 01923 223 324, M) 07540 531 753 dholliday@collinslaw.co.uk
Will Hulbert, PR, Hulbert & Co, T) 01603 431 936, M) 07774 108 699 will@hulbertandco.com