In England, a new treatment is being performed for people exposed to coronavirus but not yet vaccinated.
Tests at London University Hospital (UCLH) NHS Trust are testing whether those who have recently been exposed to the coronavirus could receive any protection through direct injections of antibodies, according to the BBC.
“We know that this combination of antibodies can neutralize the virus, so we hope to find that administering this treatment by injection can lead to immediate protection against the development of COVID-19 in people who have been exposed, when it would be too late to offer. “A vaccine,” UCLH virologist Dr. Catherine Houlihan told the news service.
Vaccines can take weeks to offer full immunity to a virus as the body builds up the necessary antibodies. The goal of post-exposure treatment is to provide an alternative and more immediate method of protection for those who cannot receive the vaccine.
Antibodies can provide protection against coronavirus for up to a year, according to researchers who do not want to provide treatment as an alternative for those who may receive the vaccine.
Trials have only just begun in London, and the first results are expected this spring.