Question: Got any good news?
Answer: Happy Mother’s Day!!! Here are three pieces of good news that have come out in the last 3-ish days:
- Anitbodies from llamas may be great candidate for prophylaxis treatment!
- Llamas have special antibodies that are much smaller than typical human antibodies and easily manipulated to link or fuse with human antibodies. As it turns out, these llama antibodies are ideally suited for attaching to SARS-CoV-2 spiky protein and destroying the virus. Scientists published in vitro (lab-based petri-dish) results in Cell earlier in the week. If additional evidence accumulates, these llama antibodies could be used by health workers, elderly, and other high risk individuals as a prophylaxis treatment. Folks who receive the treatment would be immediately protect for a month or two before needed to receive another dose!
2. 3-drug antiretroviral drug combination may lesson the duration and severity of COVID-19!
- On Friday, scientists published results in Lancet of the effects of a 3-drug treatment combination (antiretroviral drugs interferon beta-1b, lopinavir–ritonavir, and ribavirin) on clinical outcomes of patients infected with COVID-19. The radomized control trial compared the outcomes of patients who received the triple drug combo with outcomes of patients who received only lopinavir–ritonavir. The researchers found that the 3-drug combination significantly reduced the duration of the disease (7 days compared with 12 days) as measured by negative COVID-19 test result (7 days [IQR 5–11]) than the control group (12 days [8–15]; hazard ratio 4·37 [95% CI 1·86–10·24], p=0·0010) and significantly reduced the duration of hospital stay!
3. A new antigen test just approved by FDA may make testing for COVID-19 faster, cheaper, and simpler!
- Late Friday night, FDA issued its first emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 antigen test. Antigen tests quickly detect fragments of proteins found on or within the virus by testing samples collected from the nasal cavity using swabs. This third type of test is different from existing PCR tests and antibody tests and has a unique role in the fight against the virus. The antigen test is designed as a rapid test for the virus — like the flu tests, your doctor can use these tests to provide results in minutes. Unlike PCR tests, however, the antigen tests do not have high degree of sensitivity. A positive with an antigen test is a positive, but a negative test result may be a false negative (for a refresh on sensitivity/specificity, see Q&A of 4/15). FDA therefore recommends that those who test negative also receive a PCR confirmatory test.