Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Ramadan 26, 1441 AH Doha today 280 - 370 COVER STORY ENDURANCE: Maria Branyas survived the 1918 flu pandemic and two world wars. Beating the odds A 113-year-old coronavirus survivor, who endured the 1918 flu pandemic and two world wars, bemoans the elderly are the forgotten ones of society. P4-5 BOLLYWOOD BACK PAGE Varun finds it tough to choose Viola player enjoys calm, mystical best talent for Entertainer No. 1. atmosphere during Ramadan. 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Tuesday, May 19, 2020 GULF TIMES 3 BODY & MIND COMMUNITY Donating blood to get back to work during Covid-19 Everyone’s immune system is a little bit different, so the time it takes for each person to develop the antibodies and how long they last can vary uestion: I saw an used to treat some patients that are article recently about currently infected and hospitalised how donating blood with Covid-19. could help treat To meet criteria to be a people who have convalescent plasma donor, you Qbeen diagnosed with would require a prior positive result Covid-19 and maybe let people go by a Covid-19 molecular test, be back to work. My neighbour said recovered without symptoms and she was going to have a test and test positive for antibodies to the then donate blood, but she was not virus. Preliminary reports indicate diagnosed with Covid-19, as far as I that these convalescent plasma know. I think I may have had it based transfusions are providing relief to on my symptoms, but I never went some of the sickest patients, and it to the hospital. Can I donate blood to is such a generous gift that some of help someone else? Or better yet, will us can provide to those fighting the it show that it’s OK for me to go back virus, providing hope to someone to work? else. I know that a lot of people are Answer: Certainly there is a lot of eager to get tested to know if they information about the various tests have been infected with Covid-19 that are available for Covid-19 and and have since recovered — in part blood donations. It is important to because there’s really been a lot understand that there are two main of interest at the local, state and types of tests: molecular tests and national levels to use serologic testing serologic tests. for return-to-work initiatives. Molecular tests, frequently done Unfortunately, given what we know, with nose swabs, detect the genetic I would be cautious against relying material of the virus and indicate solely on a serologic test result to whether the patient currently guide return-to-work decisions and has and is infected with the virus. recommendations. Serology tests, which are likely what We need to exercise caution with your neighbour is referring to, are how we use the results from these tests performed on blood samples tests. Individuals who test positive and detect our immune response to for antibodies to Covid-19 may be at the virus by looking for antibodies. NEED OF THE HOUR: Blood donations are always needed, and it is important to continue to donate blood as we lower risk for reinfection compared Antibodies, which are essentially weather the Covid-19 pandemic so that we can ensure we have enough supply to take care of people who might need to an antibody-negative individual, proteins produced by our immune a transfusion for any reason. but we still really don’t understand system, are a major component or know the level or the duration of how we fight off any infectious of protective immunity against disease. They will attach to and reinfection that these antibodies essentially kill or inactivate the virus. provide us. Importantly, everyone’s immune One of the biggest questions that system is a little bit different, so we are trying to answer is whether the time it takes for each person to an individual will develop complete develop these antibodies and how or partial immunity to Covid-19 long they last can vary. So even if after diagnosis and recovery, and, you or your neighbour had Covid-19 if so, how long does that last? To be and didn’t know it, it would take honest, because we’ve really only anywhere from a few days to a been dealing with this virus for four couple of weeks for this antibody or five months, we don’t have a good response to develop. And because sense of the level or duration of such of this, antibody tests are not used protective immunity. From prior to diagnose infection, but rather are studies during the Sars outbreak used to determine if a patient has in the early-2000s, we know that been infected at some point in the at least some protective immunity past. against that virus, which is closely Blood donation has been in the related to Sars-CoV-2, seemed to news lately for several reasons. First, be detectable for about two to three blood donations are always needed, years after infection. But there are and it is important to continue to some other preliminary animal donate blood as we weather the studies suggesting only short-term Covid-19 pandemic so that we immunity. can ensure we have enough supply We really need more studies to take care of people who might in this area before we can make need a transfusion for any reason. any conclusive comments on the Secondly, blood, or more specifically duration of antibody protection from plasma obtained from individuals PLASMA THERAPY: Blood, or more specifically plasma obtained from individuals with antibodies to Covid-19, is being reinfection. – Mayo Clinic News with antibodies to Covid-19, is being used to treat some patients that are currently infected and hospitalised with Covid-19. Network/TNS 4 GULF TIMES Tuesday, May 19, 2020 COMMUNITY COVER STORY World’s ‘oldest survivor’ seeks a new world order ‘It will have to be done all over again and differently. Given my age, I likely won’t be there. But believe me a new order is needed,’ 113-year-old Maria Branyas tells Ashifa Kassam This pandemic shows older people are the forgotten ones of our society — they don’t deserve to leave the world this way — Maria Branyas, ‘centurion coronavirus survivor ’ REFLECTIVE: Maria Branyas at her care home in Spain.