University of Virginia researchers testing Trump COVID-19 ‘antibody cocktail’
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 less than a week ago – but on Wednesday, he’d returned to the Oval Office.
The president was administered “Regeneron” while he was at Walter Reed Medical Facility, and now he’s championing the experimental drug.
READ MORE: President Trump returns to the Oval Office, White House confirms
Researchers at the University of Virginia want to find out whether the “antibody cocktail” that was administered to the president can prevent COVID-19 infection in people that share the same household.
“The idea is to ‘passively’ immunize subjects after exposure but before COVID-19 infection. This part of the trial is to understand how well the medication is working. To do this half of the people in the study will receive the medication and the other half will receive a placebo, an injection without any activity,” said Dr. William Petri Jr., an infectious disease expert at UVA.
READ MORE: Trump leaves Walter Reed following COVID-19 treatment, removes mask at White House
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The university is currently recruiting 40 people to participate in its study.
“It is important to understand that if your family member participates, they could receive the medication or the placebo with no activity,” Petri said.
Participants must be at least 18 years old and have been exposed to COVID-19 by someone in their household within the previous 96 hours. They must continue to live with that person for a month.
"The cocktail of antibodies we are giving is only going to provide protection for about a month and at the end those antibodies will have diffused through your body and be essentially gone where as a vaccine, your immune system is going to be constantly making these antibodies and so they will be available for a much longer period of time so the protection will be longer," said Petri.