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The UK has been struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic from the start, but as the country has begun rolling out a vaccine to stop the spread of the disease, scientists have identified a mutated strain of virus that is 70 percent more transmissible than the original . , leading the British to look for more effective ways to cure the infected.
British scientists are investigating a new antibody treatment that could potentially give people ‘immediate immunity’ after being exposed to the new coronavirus, The Guardian reported Friday.
According to the report, this drug would provide immediate long-term protection to patients when it was too late for a vaccine, potentially saving their lives. It can 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 giving this treatment by injection can lead to immediate protection against the development of Covid-19 in exposed people – when it would be too late yet to offer the virus a vaccine, ”said Dr. Catherine Houlihan, a virologist at University College London Hospitals NHS trust (UCLH) who is leading an investigation into the drug called Storm Chaser.
At least ten people have already been injected with the new antibody cocktail, called AZD7442, with the subjects receiving two consecutive doses of the drug. The researchers hope the treatment will protect against COVID-19 for six months to a year.
Also, UCLH scientists have started a second clinical trial called Provent to investigate the use of the antibody combination for patients with compromised immune systems, or for those at risk of contracting the infection, such as the elderly. The main groups in this trial include health workers, nursing home residents and students living in dormitories.
The drug is made by UCLH and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The latter has developed its own vaccine in partnership with Oxford University, which the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is expected to receive approval for use in the UK next week.
“The advantage of this drug is that it gives you antibodies immediately,” said Houlihan. “We could say to exposed subjects, yes, you can get the vaccine. But we wouldn’t tell them they would protect them from the disease, because it would be too late then. [because the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines do not confer full immunity for around a month]Added Houlihan.
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 are dealing with outbreaks in settings such as nursing homes, or if you have patients at particular risk of developing severe Covid, such as the elderly, then this could very well save a lot of lives. Phase 3 trials, it would be a big can play a role in keeping people alive who would otherwise die. So it should be a big thing, “he said.
New variant of COVID identified in Great Britain
The news of a possible ‘panacea’ comes after a new strain of coronavirus has been discovered in the UK. The new variant of the coronavirus prompted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce a new lockdown for the south of England, ruining many people’s Christmas plans.
British health officials fear that this new variant is common across the UK. The new species is believed to make up 50 percent of infections nationwide.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Britain has 2,227,947 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with 39,036 new cases in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 70,302.