Breakthrough: Scientists claim to have cured Ebola

Ebola is now no longer an incurable disease, scientists said after two of the four drugs tested in the Democratic Republic of Congo worked, significantly reducing the rate. died in a major outbreak in the country last year.

Previously to treat Ebola, doctors will use two drugs called Zmapp and Remdesivir. Zmapp has been used in Ebola pandemic in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. It gives low therapeutic effect, with mortality still high at 49%. Remdesivir's effectiveness is even lower with a death toll of 53%.

But now, testing two new monoclonal antibodies called REGN-B3 and mAb114 has yielded better results. Early Ebola treatment has helped reduce the mortality rate to only 6-14%, according to a report confirmed by the World Health Organization and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

" From now on, we will no longer have to say that Ebola is an incurable disease ," said Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, general manager of the Recherche Biomédicale National Research Institute in the Democratic Republic of Congo, single. The test supervisor said. "These advances will help save thousands of lives."

A massive outbreak in November in the Democratic Republic of Congo was the second largest outbreak since Eboloa broke out in Africa. It lasts for 1 year, infecting more than 2,800 people.

One of the biggest obstacles Congo faces is the reluctant treatment for Ebola patients. Relieved treatment means that treatment is hopeless even if it is not effective.

Even after treatment, Ebola patients have a low survival rate. Up to 70% of patients in Congo die after a viral infection. Professor Muyembe said many people first saw family members hospitalized to treat Ebola, but they still died.

" Now different, 90% of patients who come to the treatment center will be completely cured, they start believing in that success rate and build trust for both the community and society, " he said. to speak.

Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in the past, when patients were treated with ZMapp and Remdesivir drugs, mortality rates remained high, respectively 49-53. %

Moving forward to a monoclonal antibody produced by Ridoltack Biotherapeutics called mAb114 reduced the number to 34%. Most amazing is REGN-EB3, another monoclonal antibody produced by Regeneron with a post-treatment mortality rate of only about 29%.

All four drugs, if used to treat newly infected patients, will be even more effective - with Zmapp's mortality rate dropping to 24%, Remdesivir 33%, 11% mAb114 and REGN-EB3 only 6% left.

If treated early, the Ebola mortality rate after taking Zmapp drops to only 24%, Remdesivir 33%, mAb114 11% and REGN-EB3 is 6%.

However, Dr. Michael Ryan from the World Health Organization said that patients with Ebola infection usually only go to hospital or treatment center after 4 days of illness. This reduces their chances of survival and promotes viral transmission through other family members when exposed to body fluids.

" Numbers can change , " Fauci said. Along with more effective treatment drugs being used in all Ebola treatment centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, people are being encouraged to treat as soon as possible if they become ill. The chance of survival is higher than ever.

Since the Ebola outbreak broke out in 2014, it has killed at least 11,000 people during the 2014-2016 peak period. The average death rate at that time was about 50%. By 2018, an outbreak back in the Democratic Republic of Congo infected 2,800 people and killed at least 1,800 of them.

The death rate has even increased, as patients who are not treated and treated are not effective, said Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Emergency Plan for Health. Symptoms of Ebola infection include vomiting, diarrhea, thrombocytopenia or uncontrolled blood loss.

Starting in October 2014, groups of researchers around the world have embarked on a scientific relay race to find a drug that treats Ebola.

Thousands of potential compounds were identified before Regeneron narrowed them to only three effective antibodies including REGN-EB3, the drug that drastically reduced the Ebola mortality rate at this time.

REGN-EB3, a drug that helps reduce the Ebola mortality rate to only 6%.

In the next phase of the study, scientists will also test antibodies in a variety of practical conditions including vaccination.

Ebola from a scary disease without cure, is now turned into a treatable disease, and in the future can be prevented.

Although we can not immediately eradicate this dangerous disease, but at least with the current drugs, hoping to extinguish the disease and prevent it from recurring a pandemic is possible.

Thousands of lives will be saved if we monitor, prevent and treat Ebola well, with the help of new drugs.

• The signs and symptoms of Ebola virus disease
• Successful development of antibodies that treat Ebola