Antibody Cocktail Therapy for Covid Treatment?

COVID-19 has been living amongst us for sometime now. Our natural response of fear towards this calamity seems to be fading with each passing day. This indifference towards the disease now has cost us another wave of fresh cases. And this time the fiend has a new face: Omicron. With the number of rising cases, it is only obvious that one does everything in their power to stop this deadly and hyper-infectious virus from spreading any further. COVID-19 has claimed many lives across the globe and has sent many great nations’ medical infrastructure to a toss.

As per the national news, most people recently diagnosed with the Omicron variant were all fully vaccinated. So, does that mean vaccinations don’t help us in any way? That will be wrong of us to assume actually. The honest fact is that getting vaccinated is your first defence against coronavirus. But it is only wise to realize that only vaccinations are not going to be enough. Taking precautions to avoid getting infected is always the smarter choice. Thanks to certain breakthroughs in COVID-19 treatment today, we can aid ourselves to defend against the virus’s effects with groundbreaking efficacy.

Various treatments are being tested by health administrations around the world in order to successfully treat affected individuals and reduce the burden on medical manpower working day and night against COVID-19 for the last few years. Monoclonal antibody treatment, also known as COVID antibody cocktail therapy is one of the few names that has emerged as a promising means of COVID defense.

What is a Covid Antibody Cocktail?

It’s a combination of man-made antibodies that inhibits coronavirus from infecting new cells and lowers the risk of death in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 who haven’t mounted their own natural antibody response.

How Does it Work?

The cocktail comprises two monoclonal antibodies, which are man-made proteins that mimic natural antibodies found in the immune system. They bind to non-overlapping portions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the key location where the virus latches onto human cells. Thus, preventing new viral particles from infecting further cells.

The use of two antibodies rather than just one minimizes the risk of drug-resistant virus strains developing. These two man-made antibodies are called Casirivimab and Imdevimab. As per recent findings presented by the pharma company that created this cocktail, those who received the injection were 81% less likely to become ill with COVID-19 than those who received a placebo.

“A placebo is a medical treatment that appears to be “real” yet isn’t. It could be in the form of a pill, a shot, or another “false” treatment. The only thing that all placebos have in common is that they don’t contain any active ingredients that can affect your health.”

If a person is already ill, monoclonal antibodies will keep them from developing severe symptoms that will necessitate hospitalization. Monoclonal antibodies can fight the virus and save people from getting sick in the first place if they’ve been exposed.

Trials in Mumbai

In a hospital trial at Mumbai, 101 patients ranging in age from 18 to 45 years, 45 patients ranging in age from 45 to 59 years, and 53 patients ranging in age from 60 years participated. A total of 74 people out of a total of 199 had at least one comorbidity.

A total of 199 individuals with mild to moderate blockage received treatment. 179 of them had a fever at the commencement of treatment, 158 coughed with a fever or coughed without a temperature. In addition, four patients required oxygen.

The patients who were administered a mixture of two antibodies, Casirivimab and Imdevimab, had to receive therapy in the hospital for just 5 to 6 days, based on the conclusions reached at the end of the treatment.

After the observation was completed, it was discovered that the patients’ fevers had subsided within 48 hours after receiving the combination treatment. Giving this combined medicine by saline took only one hour. During that time, the patients in question were closely followed. This also allows the medicine to be dispensed through outpatient care (OPD) rather than hospitalization.

What are the Advantages of Covid Antibody Cocktail Therapy?

These combination therapies are cost-effective for patients in the long run since they eliminate the need for medical oxygen and other costly medications, as well as the necessity for hospitalization.

Given the medical manpower available, it is possible to treat patients on an outpatient basis, and because the amount of time a patient spends in the hospital is reduced, doctors will have less job stress. The entire treatment process lasts no more than 6 hours.

Who is Eligible for the Shot?

The antibody cocktail shot is being given to those who qualify the following parameters:

• Patients who are at high-risk of contracting the virus. Patients that are considered to be at high risk are known to have diabetes, lung disorders, cardiac problems, excess body weight or are of old age or are pregnant.
• Patients who are above the age of 12 and have a body weight of over 40Kg
• Patients who have been tested positive

Another important requirement is that the patient should not require any oxygen support during the treatment procedure.

How is the Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Administered?

Intravenous (IV) infusion is used to administer monoclonal antibody treatment. These infusions take around an hour to administer, followed by an hour of observation and monitoring in one of our outpatient infusion clinics.

Does it have any After Effects?

An allergic reaction is one possible side effect of monoclonal antibody therapy. These responses usually only happen during or shortly after the infusion, and your care team will be on the lookout for any signs of an allergic reaction. However, because an allergic reaction to an infusion might be delayed, you should contact your doctor right once if you detect any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:

• Chills and/or fever
• Nausea
• Headache
• Breathing problems
• Blood pressure that is too low
• Wheezing
• Lips, face, or throat swelling
• Muscle pain
• Itching or rashes

Conclusion

There was no specific treatment for COVID-19 when the epidemic first started. We’ve come a long way since then. Physicians now have a means to assist prevent severe symptoms in patients who are at high risk thanks to monoclonal antibody therapy. Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata is now giving out shots of this antibody cocktail. If you are interested, you can check out our website for more information or click on the link to register online.