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British scientists have started testing a new drug that they claim provides instant immunity to Covid-19 and could save many lives if given as emergency treatment to people exposed to the coronavirus.
“The advantage of this drug is that it gives you immediate antibodies.” While coronavirus vaccines take about a month to fully activate, Dr Catherine Houlihan, a virologist at University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH), told The Guardian.
Antibody therapy, which UCLH has developed in conjunction with AstraZeneca, the maker of the yet-unapproved British Covid-19 vaccine, may become “An exciting addition to the arsenal of weapons that is being developed to combat this terrible virus,” Houlihan said.
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It could be used in homes where someone has contracted the coronavirus, as well as in hospitals, nursing homes, universities and other places to help curb major outbreaks, while vaccination is ongoing around the world.
The scientists believe that the remedy, which is based on AstraZeneca’s long-acting AZD7442 antibody combination, should be effective if offered to someone exposed to Covid-19 in the previous eight days. The immediate protection provided by the drug is reportedly expected to last between six months and a year.
Trials of the therapy, which at the moment sound almost too good to be true with the locks in place and new strains of the virus making headlines, began in early December at UCLH, a few other UK hospitals and in around a hundred sites abroad. If it proves effective during testing and gets the green light from the British medical regulator, the drug could be available in March or April.
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