Hello John and Doves,
I know antibiotics do
not work against viruses....I repeatedly wrote about
antibiotics in my letters for use against this
coronavrirus. Sorry, I'm so use to referring to
'antibiotics' to treat infections; antibiotics is not
the right word - it's 'antivirals'. Antibiotics for
coronavirus needs to be corrected to antivirals in my
recent letters.
Viruses have a
different structure and replicate differently from
bacteria - 'antivirals', 'inhibitors', and
antiretrovirals, etc. are used. These can
interrupt specific stages in the life cycle, etc. of the
virus; they work differently than antibiotics. So,
they don't kill the virus, they inhibit it.
Viruses use the host's
cells to replicate...and the host cell can be damaged
with treatment. Making a working antiviral is
difficult. Think of HIV, herpes, common cold.
Unfortunately, for
2019-nCoV, "there are currently NO FDA-approved medical
countermeasures...FDA stands ready to work with medical
product developers to clarify regulatory and data
requirements to move products forward in development as
quickly as possible....There are NO FDA-approved
diagnostics for 2019-nCoV...There are NO FDA-approved
vaccines to prevent 2019-nCoV....There are NO
FDA-approved therapeutics (drugs) to treat 2019-nCoV or
other coronaviruses.
https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-issues/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov
Novel
coronavirus (2019-nCoV) | FDA
Vaccines, to prevent
illness, are important in reducing viral infection and
disease. Think of hepatitis, flu, smallpox.
Vaccines have had excellent results with many viruses.
China makes many
antivirals and it doesn't appear that China has found
any that are helping control the 2019-nCoV. (As
noted above, the FDA has no approved drugs for treating
this.) I have read that the HIV antivirals (that
China makes) may be helpful in some cases.
A viral 'pestilence'
can be far worse than a bacterial 'pestilence' due to no
way to make an 'antibiotic' and antivirals are difficult
to make, but a vaccine could possibly be made and then
used for mass inoculation.
"Scientists believe an
antibody could soon help develop antiviral drugs and
vaccines for new and deadly Wuhan coronavirus, dubbed
2019-nCoV....The team of scientists in China...found an
antibody which bound to the surface of the 2019-nCoV and
appeared to neutralize it...Experts welcomed the
findings but cautioned the antibody is not yet close to
being harnessed against the new virus....the discovery
may aid in the development of methods fro preventing and
treating the new bug......More likely a 'cocktail' of
different antibodies would be required." The
article also reported that SARS is only 80% genetically
related to 2019-nCoV. Any treatment needs to be
tested for efficacy, safety...then doses worked out,
production implemented., etc.
Again,
sorry for the goof and confusion. Hope this
clears up viral treatments.
Maranatha!
Chance