Could Survivors Of Ebola Be Key To Finding A Cure?

The search for a possible cure for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) continues, with the Lagos State government at the forefront of finding a way to increase the possibilty of having survivors in the event of infection with the Ebola virus.

One of the options being considered by Lagos is the collection and examination of antibodies from the blood of the Ebola survivors, to see if they have developed antibodies capable of fighting off the virus.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this yesterday, during a tour of the Ebola Isolation facility at Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.

“We are exploring the possibilities of collecting and examining the antibodies possessed by the patients for possible prospects of a cure.

“The patients were admitted into the isolation centre based on the result of tests conducted on them. But after some treatment, they survived the virus, and the test conducted on them again showed negative.”

According to Idris, the survivors were treated based on their symptoms, but he noted that there is a need for more virologists to get involved in the fight against the deadly virus because EVD patients are not like other patients.

“The activities within the isolation centre are very crucial, and one has to understand the protocol even if he or she has the expertise in managing the patients.

“For Ebola cases, there is specific training one has to go through, and one of the measures is that the safety of the people must be considered paramount. This is because the slightest mistake from any of the health officials can cause infection.”

It could be recalled that four patients who have survived the virus were discharged from isolation on Monday by the combined federal and state government teams and their international partners. Earlier over the weekend, a female doctor had been discharged after surviving the virus.

This development brings the number of survivors of Ebola in the country to five while three other patients yet to scale the hurdle have been moved to the 40- bed capacity isolation centre in the hospital.