The man who had Covid-19 for 7 months was cured thanks to the vaccine

This is believed to be the first case of using vaccines to treat rather than prevent disease.

Ian Lester, 37, an ophthalmologist, has a rare hereditary immunodeficiency disorder. He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 7.5 months after contracting the virus.

“I was very frustrated and began to suspect I would never test negative. I started to feel like a prisoner in my own home.”

Artwork: Pharmaceutical-technology

The virus was eventually cleared from Ian’s system after doctors from the Center for Immunodeficiency in Wales administered two doses of the Pfizer vaccine to treat him. Cardiff University scientists monitored his immune system response.

This, experts say, indicates the vaccine has successfully kicked in the patient’s immune system to clear the virus. They hope that method could be used to treat immunocompromised patients.

Ian has Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, a rare condition that causes immunodeficiency. When he contracted Covid-19 in December 2020, he was unable to fight the virus and continuously tested positive for at least 218 days.

This is not a syndrome post-Covid-19 when the patient is still sick even though the virus has been eliminated.

During this time, Ian suffered from symptoms such as chest tightness, insomnia, headaches, poor concentration and extreme fatigue. He is self-isolating for a long time.

“When I first contracted the virus in December 2020, I had only minimal symptoms, most notably a loss of smell/taste. I informed the immunology department at the University Hospital of Wales, as I have been in their care since I was a child.”

“They are concerned that people who are immunocompromised may be contagious for longer than average. I was sent a test kit to regularly check my condition.”

“Most people can stop quarantining 10 days after contracting the virus, I am an exception. The tests came back positive, time and time again. Months go by like a lifetime when I can’t go anywhere or see friends and family.”

“The symptoms gradually got worse the longer I had the virus.”

Doctors tried a method that had not been used before.

Professor Stephen Jolles, School of Medicine at Cardiff University, said: “With PCR tests being consistently positive and impacting on healthhis spirit, we decided on a new treatment.”

“We wondered if vaccination would clear the virus by inducing a strong immune response in the body. We gave two doses of Pfizer vaccine, one month apart, and very quickly noticed a much stronger antibody response than during prolonged natural infection.”

The University of Wales Hospital researchers also discovered a strong response of T cells – important factors in the immune system that help fight viruses.

Dr Mark Ponsford shared, the ability to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 was finally confirmed 72 days after the first dose of vaccination and 218 days after the patient was infected with Covid-19.

‘It was an incredible moment,’ Dr Ponsford said.

“To our knowledge, this is the first time that mRNA vaccination has been used to eradicate persistent Covid-19 infection. Importantly, the patient tolerated the vaccine well, inducing a strong antibody and T-cell response. This is remarkable because Ian’s response to routine vaccinations in the past has been very limited. “.

“We all see how important vaccinations are to the fight against a global pandemic. But our study highlights the potential for vaccines as a treatment.”

An Yen (According to Walesonline)