| A．At home. | B．At a restaurant. | C．At a clinic. |
2 . Nearly two years after the COVID-19 outbreak, China has granted approval to its first antibody combination treatment for COVID-19.
A team from Brii Biosciences, Tsinghua University, and the People’s Hospital of Shenzhen has accomplished the task in 20 months. It would usually takes 10 years. “It can reduce the rate of hospitalization and death by 80 percent,” said Zhang Linqi, leader of the research team.
The new antibody drug is immediately effective when conducted intravenously (静脉注射). Moreover, the treatment can protect people, especially those whose physical condition doesn’t allow vaccination, from becoming infected by COVID-19 for around nine to 12 months, said Zhang. How does it work? When a virus infects a cell, it relies on an important type of protein: the spike proteins on its surface. The spike proteins serve as a key to unlocking a cell. If a virus cannot enter a cell, it will be destroyed immediately. The job of our antibodies is to block the virus from entering cells. So its target is very precise. In addition, thanks to the coordination between the two antibodies, it is highly efficient and durable in controlling the virus, according to Zhang.
Lab tests suggest that the antibody combination can be effective against common COVID-19 variants, including the Alpha, Beta, Delta, Lambda and Mu. Testing with the newer Omicron strain is ongoing. The qualities of the new drug make it especially useful for high-risk groups, such as frontline medical workers and people who are not suitable for vaccination due to various possible health problems.
The new drug is expected to come to the market soon, but it’s not cheap. That’s because of limited production. Also, it typically must be administered intravenously in a hospital setting.
Noting that China has used science and technology to fight COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak, Zhang said: “Science is the core to solving the issue. Science has shown its power in all sectors, from medical treatment, medicine and vaccine development to prevention and control measures.”
1. What do we know about the new drug?| A．It can remain active in human bodies for 20 months. |
| B．It’s unsuitable for people with underlying health problems. |
| C．It proves to be effective against COVID-19 variants alone. |
| D．It promises an 80 percent reduced risk of death. |
| A．By getting rid of cells infected with the virus. |
| B．By preventing the virus from attacking cells. |
| C．By assisting the spike proteins in unlocking cells. |
| D．By targeting spike proteins on the surface of cells. |
| A．It has some side effects. | B．Its ingredients are still in limited supply. |
| C．Not everyone can afford it. | D．Only high-risk groups can have access to it. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Indifferent. | D．Negative. |
3 . World Health Organization (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swami Nathan said Monday that herd immunity (群体免疫) to coronavirus would not be achieved in 2021, despite the growing availability of vaccines (疫苗产量).
Factors that cannot realize herd immunity include limited access to vaccines in developing countries, skepticism (质疑) over vaccination, and the potential for virus mutations, according to health experts.
A growing number of countries around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany and other European Union countries, are in the first stages of mass-vaccination campaigns.
Herd immunity occurs when enough people in a population have immunity to an infection so that it prevents the disease from spreading.
“We are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021,” Swami Nathan told a briefing, while emphasizing that measures like physical distancing, hand washing and mask wearing continue to be necessary in containing COVID’s spread for the rest of the year.
However, Swami Nathan praised the “incredible progress” made by vaccine researchers to develop several safe and effective vaccines at fast speed. Countries are currently administering vaccines developed by BioNTech-Pfizer, Oxford University/AstraZeneca and Moderna.
“The vaccines are going to come,” she said. “They are going to go to all countries ... but meanwhile we mustn’t forget that there are measures that work,” she added, referring to hygiene and social distancing. “We won’t get back to normal quickly,” Dale Fisher, chairman of the WHO’s Outbreak Alert and Response Network, told a conference hosted by Reuters news agency. “We know we need to get to herd immunity and we need that in a majority of countries, so we are not going to see that in 2021,” Fisher said. “There might be some countries that might achieve it but even then that will not create ‘normal’ especially in terms of border controls,” he added.
1. Which is NOT the factor that prevent herd immunity?| A．Doubt about vaccination. |
| B．The possible mutations of virus. |
| C．The growing availability of vaccines. |
| D．Access to vaccines in developing countries. |
| A．Vietnam | B．Germany | C．Singapore | D．the United Kingdom |
| A．Negative | B．Indifferent | C．Neutral | D．Positive |
| A．In terms of good border controls, we can achieve herd immunity. |
| B．There may be a long way to get to herd immunity all over the world. |
| C．If some countries might achieve herd immunity, people will live a ‘normal’ life. |
| D．In many countries in 2021, people will live a ‘normal’ life in terms of border controls. |
