Fortunately, Pranav was able to overcome his resistant infection with three courses of pioneering bacteriophage therapy, a method that uses viruses to attack specific bacteria. His third and last round of phage therapy finished in May 2018, and since then he has been free of infection and symptoms. However the Covid-19 pandemic has focused his thoughts on how different his situation may have been had he contracted the infection this year.
The implications of COVID-19
It is no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a shut-down in global travel, with many countries banning entry from abroad, requiring strict quarantines from travellers, and of course the collapse of many airlines. For many people, international travel for healthcare treatment has been essential in their recovery, something that the pandemic has rendered near-impossible.
Having experienced a drug-resistant infection and gone to great lengths to seek specialised experimental treatment, Pranav is wary of Covid-19, knowing the adverse impact it would have on his immunity, which would increase the possibility of a secondary bacterial infection occurring. He has taken many precautions to protect himself – avoiding crowded spaces, maintaining social distancing, and always wearing a mask.
What is phage therapy?
Bacteria are found everywhere in our biosphere, but nature has a way of preventing bacterial overgrowth and keeping them under control. It does so with the help of ‘bacteriophages’. Bacteriophages, or simply ‘phages’, are naturally occurring viruses that infect and feed on bacteria. They do not harm any organisms other than bacteria. They are found everywhere – in the air, in water, soil, food, even inside our bodies, and any other environment that allows bacteria to grow in it. Phage therapy is the use of phages to cure bacterial infections in human hosts.
With the present Covid-19 pandemic creating a greater public awareness of infectious disease and the need to prevent its spread, Pranav hopes it will create public pressure for governments to take greater action, particularly against antimicrobial resistant infections.