Dubai veterinarians have begun to study how a new type of coronavirus spreads among animals. To do this, they, in particular, they introduced camels to the dead virus SARS-CoV-2. As a result, researchers hope to develop antibodies to treat seriously ill people.
“We recently immunized camels with a dead virus, and they produced antibodies against COVID-19,” said one of the researchers, Ulrich Werner. “Camels produce antibodies better than other animals because they have better immunity.” Werner hopes to develop antibodies that can be used to treat the severe effects of COVID-19 infection in humans.
The researchers developed a test system that produces antibodies to COVID-19 in animals. With their help, scientists plan to study the specifics of the spread of coronavirus among animals. More than 500 blood samples from 18 different species of animals were collected and retrieved from the study. The study will begin next week and last about two weeks.
Back in May 2021, the United Arab Emirates was the first in the world to license a drug for the treatment of COVID-19 called Sotrovimab (Vir-7831). The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention has authorized the emergency use of the drug.
The drug, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), offers bright prospects for the treatment of coronavirus. Including – reduction of hospitalization by more than 24 hours and the number of fatalities – by more than 85% when administered to patients.
The drug Sotrovimab (Vir-7831) is produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Vir Biotechnology. It is a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of patients over 12 years of age who carry COVID-19 in mild or moderate form, but at risk of hospitalization or life-threatening.