05-11-2020, 12:14 AM
Quote:In a sealed lab at Columbia University, researchers say they have found a way to destroy coronavirus in the air and thus make it safer to resume using public spaces like subways, theaters, stores, offices, airports, restaurants and even bars. If the scientists have it right, their invention would address one of the most daunting challenges to reopening businesses that depend on crowds of people or to workers getting to their jobs. Even with hand washing and social distancing, the virus is transmitted in at least a portion of cases by floating in the air until someone breathes it in, scientists report.A 'Far Light' Solution?
Quote:The race to find effective coronavirus treatments has led to an unlikely hero: a 4-year-old Belgian llama named Winter, whose antibodies show promise in blocking the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 from infecting cells. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, the National Institutes of Health and Ghent University in Belgium began researching llama blood four years ago while looking for antibodies to fight the 2003 SARS virus and the 2012 MERS virus, which are also coronaviruses. And members of the camel family, such as llamas and alpacas, produce two types of antibodies to detect bacteria and viruses: one similar to human antibodies, as well as smaller antibodies called nanobodies that are about a quarter of the size. And these nanobodies are not only easier for scientists to work with, but they can also be nebulized and used in an inhaler.A llama named Winter could be the key to fighting the coronavirus - MarketWatch