Thanks to an agreement between the Embassy of Italy in Doha, Qatar Foundation and Hamad Medical Corporation, on Saturday, June 20th, several plasma samples from patients cured of Covid-19 in Qatar were transported to Italy, with the aim of helping the search for effective treatments against the virus.The samples, which arrived in Italy aboard a military aircraft of the Italian Air Force, will be analysed at the laboratories of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, while at the Mater Olbia Hospital in Sardinia, the results obtained will be examined, studying antibodies and responses of the human immune system to plasma.
Plasma from cured patients, in fact, is usually rich in antibodies able to counteract the progress of the disease and could therefore play a fundamental role in the development of an effective treatment against Covid-19. At the moment, however, the available data are still limited and, precisely for this reason, the scientific collaboration between Italy and Qatar could provide for an important contribution, marking a further step forward.
The Italian Ambassador to Qatar Alessandro Prunas told the local press: “We are proud that the best medical and research centres in Italy and Qatar are working together on a project that can make a real difference in saving lives. This collaboration is a perfect example of how our countries can combine their efforts to respond to global issues and share outcomes with the international community. Scientific research has become a fundamental aspect of our bilateral cooperation and I am confident that Italy and Qatar will soon further strengthen their commitment to developing new projects that unlock untapped potential in this area.”
