A new study has claimed that the venom of a snake can become a tool to fight against COVID-19.
The researchers in Brazil have carried out this study and it has been published in the scientific journal Molecules.
A molecule produced by the jararacussu pit viper inhibited the coronavirus’ ability to multiply by 75 per cent said the researchers. They concluded at this figure by conducting tests on monkeys.
Rafael Guido, a University of Sao Paulo professor and an author of the study, in an interview, making the capture or raising of the snakes unnecessary said, already known for its antibacterial qualities, the peptide can be synthesised in the laboratory.
It is a possible first step toward a drug to fight against the virus causing Covid-19 according to scientists. They hope to test the substance in human cells but have not given any timeline for it.
To find a way to stop Covid-19 from spreading this is yet another experiment for this, especially in the wake of reports from various countries that the effect of currently available vaccines is beginning to fade.
A study last week released in Britain said that the protection against Covid-19 offered by two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines starts to fade within six months.
An analysis of data collected in Britain’s ZOE Covid study showed that the effectiveness of Pfizer vaccine after the second dose fell from 88 per cent to 74 per cent.
The effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine dropped from 77 per cent to 67 per cent after four to five months.
Britain and other European nations are planning for a Covid-19 vaccine booster campaign later this year after top vaccine advisers said it might be necessary to give third shots to the elderly and most vulnerable from September.
