Melbourne scientists make major headway to fast-track coronavirus treatments

The Doherty Institute researchers have shown that healthy people can expect to fight off mild to moderate COVID-19 cases in three days.

Amid reports of rising coronavirus cases across the world, Melbourne scientists have discovered how the human body overcomes this deadly virus in a global breakthrough hoped to fast-track treatments, vaccines and even identify those at risk of dying, according to a Herald Sun report. 

The report said that the Doherty Institute researchers have shown that healthy people can expect to fight off mild to moderate COVID-19 cases in three days. The Doherty team has reportedly been able to map in detail the way a patient’s immune system responded to COVID-19, revealing the weapons it used to overcome the new killer.

Lead researcher Professor Katherine Kedzierska told Herald Sun that the antibodies released by the human immune system to overcome coronavirus are very similar to those it uses to combat influenza — despite it never having being exposed to the disease.

Prof Kedzierska is quoted as saying “It suggests to us that we can fight the virus and we can drive ­recovery from COVID-19,” adding “We found that although COVID-19 is caused by a new virus, in a previously healthy patient robust immune responses can be elicited and associated with clinical recovery."

“We found in this patient three days after hospital admission we could see the emergence of specific cell populations in the blood,” he added.

According to the reports, when a 47-year-old woman from Wuhan was admitted to a Melbourne hospital as one of Australia’s first coronavirus cases, the Melbourne researchers were already set up to run a detailed analysis of her blood.

Four other Australian COVID-19 patients and their recovery have also been studied to show the same response — that patients recover three days after the antibodies begin to build up, said the report.

“Knowing that patients can mount antibody responses is important for the vaccination development, as the majority of vaccines are based on antibody responses,” Prof Kedzierska told Sun Herald, adding  “This information will allow us to evaluate any vaccine candidates. In an ideal world, the vaccine should mimic our bodies.”

The latest work is likely to boost efforts to develop an antibody therapy to beat coronavirus.

Some scientists are reportedly pushing to develop drugs that mimic the weapons used by the immune system to kill the virus, which would be enhanced by the discovery of the antibodies, rather than going for a vaccine.

Notably, the study is likely to provide some reassurance for the 80 per cent of people who can easily fight off COVID-19, it would provide greater benefits for those who are at most risk.