Treatments
This preprint might be important. It describes a novel treatment for COVID-19 (and possibly for all viruses).
The active ingredient (SLR) activates a molecule called RIG-I, which in turn gooses the production of interleukin-1, which is a cytokine, part of the immune system associated with inflammation. Basically, SLR revs up the innate immune system to kill viruses off (or at least knock their forces down) before the adaptive immune system can get its act in gear and send in the heavy troops.
The paper shows really good results in mice (if you get SLR to the mice quickly enough after they get infected with COVID-19). It also works against all the scariants, though not as well against Beta or Delta.
Vaccines
Recommended Reading
This article isn’t exactly about COVID-19, but talks about a support player in the immune system, and is quite entertaining! This Twitter thread (longish) is a masterclass on the tropes of anti-vaxxism. This article (long) explains why COVAX failed to get doses to low-income countries. Immunocompromised patients frequently don’t mount a good immune response to vaccines. Should they get a third dose? This article looks at the question. (Pro: sometimes a third dose gives a response. Con: sometimes it doesn’t.)