A decline of infections means that fewer people end up being hospitalised or even treated in intensive care units. When it comes to the Indian variant, Dr Schockmel expressed confidence that there is little reason to worry. So far, vaccines have shown to be effective against the mutations, no matter the country of origin. The South African one is the only one where effectiveness is lower, but still existing nevertheless.
Dr Schockmel showed restraint when asked about the possibility of having to administer follow-up jabs for long-term protection. For one, the number of antibodies are known to decline over time, but it remains to be seen if the rate is the same for everybody. Experts will determine whether patients' immune cells remain strong enough over time. If that is the case, a follow-up shot would only be necessary after a period of about ten years. However, vulnerable people may have to get a refreshment jab at an earlier stage.
For people who contracted and recovered from Covid-19, there are also good news. Their bodies have shown to that they can handle the infection, but depending on the severity, the level of immunity can still vary. Vaccines therefore still make sense to strengthen patients' resilience. Whether or not two jabs make sense will have to be determined according to the requirements of the European vaccine passport. In general, one shot suffices for recovered patients.
When asked about the possibility of vaccinating children against Covid-19, Dr Schockmel noted that one first had to guarantee the safety of the process. After all, the virus is known to be less harmful for children than other diseases against which they tend to be vaccinated, including diphtheria, poliomyelitis, or tetanus.
Nevertheless, there have been isolated cases of children dying from Covid, which means that a safe vaccine is still important. Dr Schockmel noted that the RNA vaccines look most promising in that regard. The Pfizer/BionTech one can already be administered to adolescents from 16 years up.
By now, knowledge on the adequate treatment of a positive Covid infection has increased. In cases of severe complications where people need artificial breathing support, doctors first administer dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid medication that has proven to be helpful in the recovery process. Should further complications arise, an additional supplement, or even antibody infusions, can be added to the mix. Former US president Donald Trump famously received a personalised cocktail with two separate antibodies when he contracted the virus.
Regeneron, the company responsible for the mix, is expected to soon receive approval to distribute the same cocktail in Europe, Dr Schockmel explained. However, given that the mixture is expensive, it could be that it will only be used for patients that are statistically expected to face complications after contracting the virus.
Another interesting avenue, according to the infectious diseases expert, are cortisone inhalers, which a recent study published by the the University of Oxford has shown. Interesting to note as well that researchers are working on pills that will lower the replication chances of Covid-19. A similar method already exists for HIV.
