Breaking: Development of Vaccine in Italy, Tocilizumab Shows Promise, Link between COVID-19 and Blood Clot
Neucrad Health May 10, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented crisis in the world. There is barely any country that has been spared by the SARS-C0V-2 virus. Currently, India is going through the third phase of the lockdown, and every day the number of new cases is reaching over 3000. Healthcare workers are toiling relentlessly to manage the situation and flatten the COVID-19 curve. Scientists and research scholars are trying their best to develop vaccines and new medications to treat novel coronavirus infection and reduce recovery time. Have a look at the latest developments in COVID-19 in different regions of the world.
Development of Vaccine in Italy
An Italian pharmaceutical firm, “Takis,” revealed that they have developed a single-dose vaccine against the SARS-C0V-2 virus. Scientists have carried out researches at the prestigious Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases for producing the vaccine. They have tested their product on mice, where it successfully generated antibodies barely within fourteen days. These antibodies are effective even in human beings. Luigi Aurisicchio, CEO of Takis, opined that they are at the most advanced stage of testing the vaccine. Human trials of this product will start after this summer. This vaccine remains based on the protein present on the spikes of the novel coronavirus. The antibodies will prevent the spikes from attaching to the host cells and thus prevent the infection. For more details go through the press release of the Takis Biotechnology Company [1].
Tocilizumab can be Effective Against SARS-C0V-2 Virus
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved the clinical trial of tocilizumab medication against adult COVID-19 patients. It will help in gaining an understanding of the safety and efficacy of intravenous medicine. The clinical trial has been named as COVACTA and is currently going ahead with the collaboration of Genentech and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Genentech also opined that they would supply 10,000 vials of the medicine to the US Strategic National Stockpile for use in the future.
According to the latest study, COVID-19 patients suffer from inflammatory cytokine storm, which might impair the alveolar gas exchange in critical patients. The research also established that interaction between pathogenic T cells and inflammatory monocytes results in an inflammatory cytokine storm. A monoclonal antibody which can impact the IL-6 pathways can help in reducing the chances of the cytokine storm. It brings back the body temperature of patients with the standard range and also helps in improving respiratory distress. Researchers believe that the use of tocilizumab will significantly reduce the mortality rate among severe COVID-19 patients [2].
Blood Clot can be a Severe Complication Among COVID-19 Patients
Initially, scientists believed that respiratory distress was the primary symptom of COVID-19 infection. However, recent analyses suggest that blood clotting is also a life-threatening complication among novel coronavirus patients. Researchers are still verifying whether the SARS-C0V-2 virus produces the blood clot, or it results due to the body’s inflammatory response. When patients undergo blood clots in the lungs, it can lead to respiratory failure.
Scientists have conducted a study at the ‘National Institute for Public Health of The Netherlands’ regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of blood clots among patients. They have published their study in the reputed “Radiology” journal. A case study at the Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, also pointed out the presence of pulmonary and arterial thrombosis in an aged novel coronavirus patient. Dr. Edwin J.R. van Beek, Scientist at the Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, opined that the blood clot does not occur only in the lung but throughout the organ systems.
All about are the recent developments in the researches related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, we can say that, in this testing time, the entire world must unify their energy and fight with the outbreak to bring back normalcy in society.
Reference:
1. April 10, 2020 – Takis candidate vaccines against Covid-19 induces a strong antibody response
2. Why tocilizumab could be an effective treatment for severe COVID-19?
