Immunity to COVID-19 seems to be lost within an average of two to three months post-virus exposure, according to initial findings of a study by Mater Dei Hospital’s Pathology Department.

Although the observation has not yet been sustained by scientific evidence and further studies are needed, the research will not only help better understand the virus’s course of action but also the overall immunity status of the Maltese, biomedical scientists behind it say.

The hospital’s virology labs have introduced antibody screening, and ongoing evaluations from known positive patients can show how the immune system is coping with and reacting to the new virus. It will give an idea how long an individual remains immune to re-exposure of that same strain, according to the Malta Association of Biomedical Scientists.

Working round the clock in the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory that never sleeps, the scientists perform many other routine tests, but COVID-19 was a prioritised add-on to its already busy schedule.

The Molecular Diagnostics Infectious Diseases team, currently numbering 19, analyses, processes and issues results of the majority of the nation’s COVID-19 tests, received at the Pathology Department lab.

To date, the record number of testing was 3,030 swab samples on Thursday.

But if screening for COVID-19 had to cover a wider cohort of the population that has more likely been exposed, the rise in cases would have happened at an even earlier stage, said head biomedical scientist Graziella Zahra, whose work allows her to notice certain trends.

The surge over the last few weeks was, in fact, “rather expected”.

Nevertheless, it has still raised concern even among the biomedical scientists, considered the “hidden profession and the backbone in health”.

They say it is difficult to obtain a clear picture and error-free rate of infection, based solely on positive cases, but the more tests are carried out, the more accurate is the representation of spread in the local community.

“Of course, we are all human and seeing an increase in new cases as opposed to moving towards a zero mark creates concern,” they continue.

Once a patient is diagnosed positive, the process does not stop there... several other tests performed to follow the status and progress

“Being a virus, we are quite sceptical that it would be truly representative if zero cases had to be reported exactly after this second and bigger hit our nation is facing.”

Results are interpreted and reported directly to the Superintendent of Public Health on the same day as the swab is taken and received at the lab – in a matter of five hours from sample receipt.

Once a patient is diagnosed positive, the process does not stop there, with several other tests performed to follow the status and progress.

Malta appears to have dealt with the first influx of cases in a “very good way”, MABS maintains. However, whether this had to do with a milder strain is not confirmed.

“To date, we do not know which strains have hit Malta and whether there were any mutations involved in the known SARS-CoV-2.” 

But biomedical scientists are “excited” to tap into EU funds allocated to this field and start research on this important topic. 

The more time passes, the better scientists and healthcare workers are at observing and discovering these “tiny-big enemies”, instilling “great hope that the day will eventually come when COVID-19 testing would be counted on one hand, especially once the vaccine is available”.

Although heat usually keeps viruses at bay since they cannot survive high temperatures, such hopes have faded since cases are increasing drastically regardless of the current climate, the scientists’ association admits. 

In winter, viruses usually thrive, and when more than one is peaking, it is never good news, it continued in view of the envisaged coronavirus-flu confluence.

Fear is inevitable in these times and “when your daily work involves coming into close contact with such pathogens, it is never an easy job,” said the frontliners, operating behind the scenes. 

The Molecular Diagnostics Lab, another crucial link in the chain of controlling the virus, never goes to sleep and its team works “abnormal” hours to cater for testing cycle runs throughout the day and night to provide timely results.

Meanwhile, the rt-PCR system, considered the gold standard detection test, offers reliable results even at relatively earlier infectious stages, where the sample viral load is still fairly low, MABS said in light of cases were someone may have tested negative and then positive days later.

Of course, it is not impeccable and still presents certain limitations that depend on various factors. But the likelihood of this scenario is very low and does not raise any doubts in the detection rates of the laboratory technique in use, it emphasises.

Unfortunately, speculation on the number of positive cases is rife and can be very misleading, disheartening the bioemedical scientists whose aim is to convey the most accurate information possible, their association says, urging the public toonly follow official government information.

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