British experts have called for a focus on bacteriophages in the care of Covid-19 patients.
Scientists at Birmingham University, UK, believe the viruses could be genetically altered to produce antibodies against SARS-Cov-2.
They also suggest that bacteriophages might be more effective than antibiotics in managing secondary bacterial infections during Covid-19 illness.
They have published their proposals in Phage: Therapy, Applications and Research following a systematic review of evidence.
Dr Marcin Wojewodzic, of the university’s school of biosciences, said: "By introducing bacteriophages, it may be possible to buy precious time for the patients’ immune systems and it also offers a different, or complementary strategy to the standard antibiotic therapies.
"If this strategy works, it will hopefully buy time to enable a patient to produce their own specific antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and thus reduce the damage caused by an excessive immunological reaction."
"By using beneficial viruses as an indirect weapon against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other pathogens, we can harness that power for a positive purpose and use it to save lives. The beauty of nature is that while it can kill us, it can also come to our rescue."
Bacteriophages could be a potential game changer in the trajectory of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). PHAGE: Therapy, Applications, and Research 24 June 2020
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