Covid-19 Treatment Development in Costa Rica

SELVA VERDE NEWS

With only seven deaths to date and 804 positive cases, not only has Costa Rica been able to effectively contain the spread of Covid-19, but it is also amongst the few countries in Latin America that is currently working on developing a treatment for the Covid-19 disease.

The treatments are focused primarily on the use of transfusions of plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 infections to patients that are very ill. Another treatment option being developed utilizes antibodies from animals that have been infected with COVID-19 that are purified and then used on people who are ill. It is possible that use of these treatments could start as mid-2020.

This research and development is being conducted by the Clodomiro Picado Institute of the University of Costa Rica, which is one of the foremost institutes in the world in the development of snake anti-venoms. Interestingly, specialists from the Institute have participated in the Costa Rican International Herpetological Symposiums hosted at Selva Verde Lodge periodically since 2013.

Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado tweeted that, “Costa Rica is a pioneer at the regional level in creating a treatment against COVID-19. When we abolished our army, we put science and education in our first line of investment, and today we see the results.”