The Pentagon's science department is working to create a therapeutic "shield" that could be mass-produced to provide temporary protection to people from diseases like the coronavirus, boosting their immunity until a real vaccine is developed. The outcome could also help slow the advance of viruses, buying time for struggling hospitals and clinics around the world.
Between a cure and a vaccine lies the middle ground of a "temporary defense". The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, funds efforts to create a therapy set from studying coronavirus samples from individuals who have already recovered. A sort of coronavirus shield. Scientists working with the Pandemic Prevention Platform (PPP) of DARPA are sequencing the B cells of an individual who has recovered from Covid-19. B cells are those capable of creating antibodies.
If they are able to successfully sequence B cells, the hope is that they can create a therapy that causes humans to build an arsenal of anti-Covid-19 antibodies before infection occurs. A coronavirus shield that could make it more difficult for a person to contract the disease, buying time until she can be vaccinated. Second DefenseOne , the therapy could also be useful for those already infected.
The coronavirus shield, an extra weapon
In many countries fighting the disease, the key to keeping mortality low is the availability of intensive care places. If the number of patients exceeds the number of intensive care beds, mortality starts to increase. For this reason, a "protective" therapy could spread infections over a longer period of time, avoiding the collapse of hospitals.
Rapid development: only 3 months
The development of such therapy is not without its controversial sides. Similar therapies, according to NPR , involved just a few dozen test subjects, not hundreds or thousands. Nonetheless, the methodology behind this research is solid, and progress promises to be very rapid. The science behind the process is solid and progress could be rapid: Amy Jenkins, head of the PPP program, said therapy could be ready in just three months.
Much of earned. According to most medical authorities, a COVID-19 vaccine is still 12 to 18 months away. Some researchers believe that virus mutations make it difficult to neutralize with a vaccine, others are of different opinion.
