An immunocompromised individual with the longest known PCR confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, lasting more than 290 days, has been successfully treated with two investigational monoclonal antibodies (laboratory engineered antibodies). Clinicians and researchers from the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) worked closely to assess and treat the infection and want to highlight the urgent need for improved access to treatments for such people with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The team were able to finally treat the individual successfully with a mixture of two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, supplied on a compassionate use basis by Regeneron. Importantly, the researchers found, and have reported in a paper published on the preprint server medRxiv.org, that the virus evolved during the infection, acquiring mutations that are present in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs).
The study shows the success of a specific treatment regime however, it is not yet clinically approved for use in the UK. The case demonstrates that there may be potential treatments for immunocompromised individuals with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection and these need more investigation. The findings also raise the urgent need to conduct trials of, and improve access to regimes capable of eradicating the virus from continually infected people.
