This study aims to collect samples of milk and blood from women who have recovered from Covid-19. Working with partner labs in the USA and Imperial College's Department of Immunology and Virology:
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This study started in Spring 2020
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We have recruited 30 participants using our secure website and through online recruitment methods (e.g. social media and e-mails).
The study aimed to find out answers to the following questions:
1) Do mothers produce antibodies again SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) that are present and functionally useful in milk?
2) How long do these antibodies persist in the milk for?
3) Can we use this information to target batches of donor milk to babies/children/adults with Covid-19?
4) Would this approach be clinically useful if the milk is given enterally (into the stomach)?
At the start of the pandemic, very little data existed on this issue. Now we know that it is unlikely that the virus is ever transmitted through breastfeeding, and that it is unlikely to pass into milk in a form that is infectious.
Thank you for your support with this study.