And Some Good News

And now, perhaps some unalloyed good news.  It looks like, in the new world, if you can't make antibodies, then antibodies will come to you.

As we all (should) know by now, vaccines have worked by introducing a safe measure of the disease into our bloodstreams, and our immune system has produced antibodies to fight it.  The antibodies stick around for however long they stick around, and then we get another vaccination.  When the real disease invades us, as my doctor said today, "Surprise!  We're ready for you!"  

It seems that there are a group of people who are immunocompromised enough that their immune system is not strong enough to produce a therapeutic level of antibodies.  But today, AstraZenaca has requested emergency use authorization (EUA) from US regulatory bodies for a new drug - AZD7442 - that has been shown in studies to prevent COVID in folks who can't make their own antibodies from a vaccine.

While vaccines rely on an intact immune system to develop targeted antibodies and infection-fighting cells, AZD7442 contains lab-made antibodies designed to linger in the body for months to contain the virus in case of an infection.

AZD7442 has been shown to be 77% effective (which isn't bad overall; we've been spoiled by the 90%+ effectiveness of COVID vaccines) in "reducing the risk of people developing any COVID-19 symptoms."

Pretty good.  If your immune system isn't strong enough for vaccines to do any good, we've got a pill for you!  It can also be used as a booster in certain situations.  

The vision of COVID as endemic in the new world continues to develop.  There may be reason for cautious optimism regarding the impact it will have on our lives in the future.