Monday, 27 September 2021

The Milk of Covid Kindness?

Workers at Mount Sinai hospital in New York, studied 75 breastfeeding women who had recovered from a Sars-CoV-2 infection. Almost 90% had milk antibodies to counter the virus. These antibodies remained in the milk for 10 months after the Covid infection (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/27/antibodies-in-breast-milk-remain-for-10-months-after-covid-infection-study). The predominant milk antibody was Secretory Immunoglobulin A (IgA). It is different from the antibody found in the blood. This IgA could prevent the virus from entering the body of the mother's baby. Their study also looked at 50 lactating women, who had been jabbed with the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccines. Individuals treated with Pfizer or Moderna (both RNA) vaccines, generally showed high levels of milk antibodies. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine was much less effective in this respect. It appears that vaccines that produce a marked blood antibody response, also generate high levels of IgA in the milk. The authors of the study suggest, that IgA extracted from breast milk, could be given to adults with severe Covid infections. A nebuliser could be used to deliver the antibody to the respiratory tract. Yet another weapon in the war against Sars-CoV-2?

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Birder's Bonus 241

Noted a Curlew ( Numenius arquata ) on the Loughor estuary at Bynea.