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The UK has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning, but as the nation has begun launching a vaccine to stop the spread of the disease, scientists have identified a mutated strain of virus that is 70 per cent more transmissible than the original. , which prompts the British to look for more effective ways to cure the infected.
British scientists are investigating a new antibody treatment that could give people “instant immunity” after being exposed to the new coronavirus, The Guardian reported Friday.
According to the report, this drug would offer immediate long-term protection to patients when it would be too late for a vaccine, which could save their lives. It could also be used as an emergency treatment to help reduce the spread of the virus.
“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,” said Dr Catherine Houlihan, a virologist at the University College London Hospitals NHS trust (UCLH) who is leading a study called Storm Chaser on the medicine.
At least ten people have already injected the new antibody cocktail, called AZD7442, and trial participants have received two consecutive doses of the drug. The researchers expect treatment to provide protection against COVID-19 between six months and a year.
In addition, UCLH scientists have begun a second clinical trial called Provent to explore the use of the combination of antibodies for patients with compromised immune systems or those at higher risk of contracting the infection, such as the elderly. The key groups in this trial are health care workers, nursing home residents, and students living in dormitories.
The drug was created by UCLH and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The latter has developed its own vaccine in collaboration with Oxford University, according to which the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency is expected to be approved in the UK next week.
“The advantage of this drug is that it provides you with immediate antibodies,” Houlihan said. “We could tell the participants in the trial that they have been exposed: yes, you can have the vaccine. But we wouldn’t tell them that it would protect them. [because the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines do not confer full immunity for around a month]Houlihan added.
Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the new treatment could save thousands of lives.
“If you face outbreaks in settings such as nursing homes or if you have patients at particular risk of serious covidis, such as the elderly, this could save many lives. In phase 3 trials, it could play a role. important in keeping alive people who would otherwise die.
New variant of COVID identified in Britain
The news of a potential “miracle” drug comes after a new strain of coronavirus is detected in the United Kingdom. The new variant of the coronavirus caused British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce another blockade for the south of England, ruining the Christmas plans of many people.
Health officials in the UK fear that this new variant will be prevalent across the UK. The new strain is believed to account for 50 percent of infections nationwide.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the UK has 2,227,947 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, with 39,036 new cases in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 70,302.