A new treatment for those exposed to the coronavirus but not yet vaccinated is currently being tested in England.
The trials at the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Trust are experimenting with whether those recently exposed to coronavirus can be afforded some degree of protection by direct antibody injections, according to the BBC.
“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. to offer the virus a vaccine, ”UCLH virologist Dr. Catherine Houlihan told the news service.
Vaccines can take weeks to provide full immunity to a virus as the body builds up the required antibodies. The goal of post-exposure treatment is to provide an alternative – and more direct – method of protection for those who cannot receive the vaccine.
Antibodies can protect against the coronavirus for up to a year, say researchers, adding they don’t want to offer the treatment as an alternative to those who can get the vaccine.
The trials have just started in London and the first results are expected this spring.