Antibody-based COVID-19 Drug developed by South Korean Scientists may Come Soon

Antibody-based COVID-19 Drug developed by South Korean Scientists may be ready sooner than expected

According to foreign media BGR reports, doctors have been using various therapies to treat COVID-19, trying to prevent complications and treat symptoms. However, there are currently no specific drugs for new coronaviruses, which explains why you keep hearing about treatments that may work for some patients but fail for others. 

Medical experts are conducting some research to see which drugs have the opportunity to improve the prognosis of COVID-19. The vaccine will eventually be the only way to prevent infection and hope to eradicate the disease, but we have to wait another 18 months to get the vaccine. Prior to this, South Korea may have an antibody-based COVID-19 drug.

Immune System Produces Antibodies dealing with COVID19

The immune system produces antibodies to deal with every pathogen that enters the body. This explains why some patients with COVID-19 do not even show symptoms. Their immune response is so good that the virus is eliminated. 

These patients can donate plasma containing this antibody to other patients, allowing them to recover faster. This is currently the only known treatment for COVID-19 and the only known treatment that works well. This method can be used for any infectious disease.

Pilot project Testing Amount of antibodies in Plasma

However, the whole process is slow. You must find a donor that matches the patient, and you must test the antibody. In New York, a pilot project is also testing the amount of antibodies in plasma. Other countries have similar projects. In an unusual case of COVID-19 in China, a person infected for 49 days got the antibody and recovered.

South Korea hopes to develop Antibody-based COVID-19 Drug 

South Korea hopes to develop an antibody-based drug, which may be ready by next year. According to the Korea Times, South Korea will begin testing an antibody-based drug for COVID-19 within the year. The synthesis of such a drug for the treatment of COVID-19 may be a key development that can help us to gain more time until the vaccines are launched worldwide.

The report also revealed that South Korea collected a large number of blood samples from people infected with the virus and will use them for antibody drug tests later this year. South Korea also plans to use the plasma of recovered patients to treat other patients in the next two or three months. South Korea is expected to launch the vaccine by the end of 2021 or 2022.

South Korea Successfully stopped Spread of New Coronaviruses

South Korea has been one of the countries that successfully stopped the spread of new coronaviruses through extensive testing and contact tracing among infected people. 

The country saw a surge in confirmed cases of new crowns in mid-February, almost simultaneously with Italy. 

However, as of press time, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in South Korea was 10,613, while the number of confirmed cases in Italy was 168,941.

Author's Bio

Name: Ian Skyler

Education: MBBS, MD

Occupation: Medical Doctor 

Specialization: Community Medicine, General Surgery, Natural Treatment

Experience: 18 Years as a Medical Practitioner

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