In public health, as in real life, prevention is always preferable to treatment. Better to avoid a violent shooting in the first place than have to remove a bullet in surgery. Yet if violence is inevitable, a layer of shielding — say, a bulletproof vest — is obviously a better option than a risky surgery.
Working on that same premise, some researchers have started to wonder if the coronavirus might be stopped with the microbiological equivalent of a bulletproof vest. In a new study published in Nature, scientists surmise that targeting the coronavirus’ viral proteins, which attach to the host’s proteins, could keep the virus from infecting a person in the first place.
Metaphorically, the idea is comparable to that of HIV drug PrEP [prescription pre-exposure prophylaxis], which is prescribed to HIV-negative persons who are at high risk of contracting HIV, and which prevents HIV infection in the first place.
This treatment premise takes a different tack than many researchers who have been invested in antiviral drugs that might treat people who already have COVID-19. Specifically, Remdesivir, an antiviral drug that was originally developed to treat Ebola virus disease, has surfaced as one of the most promising COVID-19 treatments. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the drug to be used as treatment of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Bill
Article URL : https://www.salon.com/2020/05/06/the-microscopic-equivalent-of-a-shield-could-stop-covid-19-before-it-starts/