Antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients can provide temporary immunity or faster healing, but limited supply makes this infeasible for everyone.
A new Chinese study successfully isolated over 200 antibodies from 8 recovered patients, cloned them, and tested their ability to neutralize the virus.
One antibody, P2C-1F11, blocked half the virus's infectivity at a concentration of only 100 nanograms per milliliter (less than 1 in 10 million).
The researchers also performed genetic analysis of the antibodies and confirmed they are specific to the virus, not binding to unintended targets.
While cloning and producing these antibodies is promising for research, it remains uncertain whether they can be safely and rapidly manufactured for human treatment.
The author notes that this kind of research seemed impossible a month ago but is now a reality, though it may be ready for future outbreaks rather than the current one.