Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

The first human trials of an antibody therapy to treat the new coronavirus have begun in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York, according to pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.

The therapy uses antibodies developed from a blood sample taken from one of the first U.S. patients who recovered from COVID-19, the company said in a news release. The antibodies were identified by AbCellera, a Canadian biotech company, and the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The phase one trial tests whether the therapy is safe and can be tolerated by patients. The first patients in the study were dosed at Emory University in Atlanta, Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine.

Results are expected later this month, but Lilly said it is already starting large-scale manufacturing of the potential therapy.

“We want to be ready to deliver it to patients as quickly as possible, with the goal of having several hundred thousand doses available by the end of the year," said Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Lilly's chief scientific officer and president of Lilly Research Laboratories.

The news comes as many European countries eased pandemic lockdown restrictions. Museums, tourist attractions and beaches reopened across the continent.

The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus has reached nearly 6.2 million worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The death toll is nearing 373,000 people. The number of confirmed cases has reached nearly 1.8 million in the U.S., and the death toll is more than 104,000 people.

Latest Developments

United States:

-Health officials warned that large demonstrations against police brutality could be followed by a rise in novel coronavirus cases. “We still have pockets of spread in communities that aren’t under good control,” former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a Sunday interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.” Minnesota, the epicenter of the protests, has had an uptick in new cases and hospitalizations in recent days, he said.

-The White House announced it has delivered 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to Brazil. No large, rigorous scientific studies have found the anti-malaria drug safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19, and some smaller studies have indicated worse outcomes from those taking the drug.

Worldwide:

-British primary schools began reopening Monday for the youngest pupils, between 4 and 6 years old, and the oldest, ages 10 and 11. Other groups will be brought back in the coming weeks. At least 35 local councils have said it's too dangerous to reopen and their schools will remain closed.

-Tourists were allowed on Monday to return to Montenegro, the first country in Europe to declare itself “coronavirus-free.” Authorities have listed 131 countries whose citizens can enter without any restrictions, if they currently have at most 25 active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, The Associated Press reported.

-Japan began blood tests on 10,000 randomly selected people age 20 or older in Tokyo, Osaka and Miyagi in an effort to check what percentage of its people have developed antibodies, a sign of their coronavirus infections in recent past. Results will be expected at the end of June.

-The Vatican Museums reopened after a three-month coronavirus shutdown. Visitors needed a reservation, and temperatures were taken.

-On Wednesday, Italy will further loosen restrictions. Travel will be allowed from other European Union countries, and Italians can move more freely within the country.

-South Korea has seen a steady rise of COVID-19 cases around Seoul. Hundreds of infections have been linked to nightspots, restaurants and a massive e-commerce warehouse near the capital. The resurgence is straining the country's ability to test patients and trace their contacts.

For the latest coronavirus information in your county and a full list of important resources to help you make the smartest decisions regarding the disease, check out our dedicated COVID-19 page.

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