The biotech company Regeneron just got emergency approval for their antibody cocktail drug Regen-Cov-2. What this essentially consists of is a number of lab engineered antibodies against various surface proteins on the SARS-COV-2 virus. We generate these naturally (actually naturally we generate many many more different kinds of antibodies against the virus when infected) but the problem is that by the time we generate them, the virus has spread too extensively and the disease Covid-19 takes hold. This drug essentially gives our immune system a head start with identifying and attacking it. In some ways, it is like an artificial vaccine. With a vaccine, you get injected with parts of a microbe and we naturally generate antibodies. Regen-Cov-2 gives us these antibodies in advance of our immune system.
But therein lies the problem with this new “miracle cure”. You need to get it soon enough after infection for it to be of any significant benefit. The same goes for the other “miracle cure” touted by our outgoing president Remdesivir, another drug which got emergency use authorization. The WHO just announced that they no longer recommend getting it since some recent studies show no real benefit, unless you get it soon enough.
By the time most people are in the hospital with Covid, it’s too late. Our president got these drugs faster than 99.9% of us would be capable of, which is why they worked so fast. His manic behaviour afterwards was also a result of the early treatment with the steroid dexamethasone, well known to cause a constellation of emotional issues. Every patient to whom I give this drug, I also give the advice to pull out a broom and get ready to clean the house because you will be amped up and won;t be able to sleep. It works.
As far as the great news about the efficacy of 2 upcoming vaccines, that is great but again, it is no “miracle cure”. Enough people need to take it and presently only ~50% say they would. For herd immunity to occur, all those who do get immunized would have to get it within a fairly narrow timeframe. Presently, even if the most optimistic view is taken that one will be available by the new year, it would take many months for those who want immunization to actually get it. I plan to take it when it is available but I have no delusions that I will be 100% protected nor that I can’t get re-infected and spread it to others. Standard PPE practices will continue. Indefinitely.
We need to stop looking for a cure. An easy way out.
It doesn’t exist.
Other than the obvious one. 2 weeks of isolation.
That is literally all it would take. Just 2 weeks. The virus, as it is spreading now, would die out.
If everyone on the planet could just isolate for 2 weeks, this present pandemic would go away. Of course if, in addition, if we do not change our ways, something else will just take its place very soon. There is already the next version of bird flu H9N7, much more contagious and much more deadly than previous bird-flu viruses. Where do they come from? Chicken farms. We’re killing ourselves. I like to point out to people that we like to blame the Chinese wet markets on this pandemic but they are shocked to learn that at the same time as this virus started to spread, New York City had over 80 wet markets throughout the city.
It won’t happen though because humanity is lazy, selfish and can’t help itself.
While we need to keep working on treatments and vaccines, we can’t continue to ignore the obvious. The disease is spreading fast. People are getting sick. People are dying and the only way past all this is through. It will be long and slow but if we want to minimize the cases of significant disease and death, not only from Covid itself but the myriad of other diseases people are dying from both directly and indirectly because of Covid, we must do the basics.
MASK UP. wear a good one. Wear it correctly. Cover your nose. Stop touching it.
DISTANCE.
WASH YOUR HANDS. Use hand sanitizers if necessary.
DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE.
COVER YOUR EYES.
VENTILATE.
VACCINATE.
GET HEALTHY.
CHECK IN ON YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. We need each other.
Stay safe and be well.
AC