Romania Gets Help from Italy against Covid-19: 5,200 Doses of Monoclonal Antibodies

On Tuesday, October 12, a Romanian Air Force C-27J Spartan aircraft delivered around 5,200 doses of monoclonal antibodies from Milan to Romania. The doses came from the Lombardy Region’s stockpiles, and Italy’s assistance was requested by Romanian authorities.

The flight was part of the attempt to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Romanian Ministry of Defense (MApN), who stated that the mission was carried out through the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union.

The representatives of the Government thanked Italy in a Facebook post:

Romania obtained today a chance at recovery for several thousand patients who could develop severe forms due to COVID, but also a mouthful of oxygen for the medical system. Monoclonal antibodies were obtained through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Now we see the benefits we have because in recent years Romania has provided humanitarian aid to other European countries. We continue to make efforts to obtain other medicines and medical products necessary to be able to treat all patients who have severe forms.

Romanian Government thanking Italy for support

COVID-19 can be treated with monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy, commonly known as monoclonal antibody infusion treatment. The objective of this treatment is to lower viral loads, reduce hospitalizations, and reduce symptom severity.

Monoclonal antibodies are used in this form of treatment. These antibodies are identical to those produced naturally by your body in response to infection. Monoclonal antibodies, on the other hand, are mass-produced in a lab and are intended to identify a specific component of this virus: the spike protein on the virus’s outer shell.

These antibodies work by interfering with the virus’s ability to adhere to and enter human cells by targeting the spike protein. They help the immune system get a head start until it is able to launch its own defense.

This treatment can be quite successful, but it is not a substitute for immunization.

The Covid-19 situation keeps getting worse in Romania day by day and authorities compared Romania with the situation from Lombardy last year. The hospitals lack space for Covid-19 patients while the country is reporting new numbers of infections daily.