Grant: Operating Grant: COVID-19 - Therapeutics

SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that has caused an epidemic of human respiratory disease (COVID-19). It first emerged from the city of Wuhan in Hubei in December 2019 and has since spread widely in China and to more than 24 counties globally. The virus has been declared as a deadly global threat, and accelerated international efforts have been engaged to control the virus. A total of 1,524 deaths been confirmed as of 15th February 2020 (WHO). As a result of the rapid transmission internationally, a global call to control the spread of the virus in affected and non-affected areas has been implemented. Currently, there is no effective treatment or vaccine to control the virus. Symptoms of the infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, the infection can cause respiratory failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and death. The objectives of this application are 1) to develop antibodies that will block the entrance of the virus into the cells, and to test the efficacy of these antibodies in mice.