Antibody therapy - given to former US President Donald Trump - can now be used in the UK.
A new Covid treatment - that uses a pair of laboratory-made antibodies to attack the virus - has been approved for use in the UK.
However, it is very expensive and likely to be reserved for those at greatest risk of becoming severely ill. However, the companies Regeneron and Roche tested monoclonal antibodies in the laboratory to find the two that were best able to stick to the virus.The antibodies attach to the spike protein - the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway into our body's cells - on the surface of the coronavirus. This stops them infecting other cells to replicate and gives the body's own immune system more time to mount a response to the virus.
So it is still uncertain whether the antibody therapy will be offered to everyone, or reserved for those most likely to become severely ill due to a weak immune system.
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