Health authorities in Congo said on Monday that two experimental drugs being used in a clinical trial to control the spread of Ebola appear to be saving lives.

The drugs — developed from antibodies from survivors that had been infected with Ebola — showed "clearly better" results in patients taking part in the trial, which is being conducted during the world's second-largest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Which drugs were in the trial?

Regeneron's REGN-EB3

US National Institutes of Health's 'mAb114'

Mapp Biopharmaceutical's ZMapp

Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir

'Very good news'

The trials of the first two listed drugs were considered successful: the first clearly worker better, and the second — developed by US scientists — wasn't far behind. Both improved survival rates from Ebola more than the two other products being tested. ZMapp and Remdesivir have now been dropped, according to Anthony Fauci, one of the trial researchers.

Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the results were "very good news" for the fight against Ebola.

Read more: Opinion: Ebola in Congo — incompetence, mistrust and greed

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Protective clothing Proper protective clothing for doctors and nurses is critical. All exposed skin must be covered with a material that cannot be penetrated by the virus. But the suit alone isn't enough: Proper procedure is also important.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Suiting up Health care workers must practice correctly putting on a protective suit, as seen here at the special isolation unit in Dusseldorf. New suits are used every time, so there is no risk of infection when getting dressed. Unprotected workers are therefore able to help.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Completely separate The patient rooms in the Dusseldorf isolation unit are completely shielded from the outside world. Air is filtered, and wastewater must go through a separate treatment process. The protective suits, used at all times in the ward, are kept at positive pressure. These measures go further than is necessary: While Ebola can be transmitted by contaminated objects, the virus is not airborne.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Disinfectant shower After the patient is treated, the entire suit is sprayed from the outside with a disinfectant to kill off any potential viruses. Only after this shower can the suit be removed - cautiously.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Outside help When removing the protective suit, health care workers must exercise extreme caution. Using permanently installed protective gloves, outside assistance can be provided without coming into direct contact with the suit. After use, the suit is immediately disposed of and burned.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Infected nurses Despite the high safety standards, a total of three nurses in Spain and the United States have contracted the disease. The circumstances surrounding the infection have not yet been clarified. The nurses' homes (as seen here in Texas) were sealed off and disinfected after the discovery of the transmission.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Protection in Africa Doctors and nurses in West Africa have now also been outfitted with protective suits. However, these do not always meet the standards deemed necessary for effective protection. Sometimes, small areas of skin are left unprotected, or the material used in the suit is permeable. In addition, putting the suit on and removing it can be risky.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Isolating the dead Extreme caution is also necessary at the funerals of people who have died of Ebola. A West African tradition, which sees the family of the deceased wash the body has led to many new infections. For mourning friends and family, these strict isolation measures are often hard to understand.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Tent as isolation units In a region where medical care is extremely underdeveloped, such an outbreak provides a daunting challenge. Infected people, like here in Liberia, are cared for in hastily constructed tents. But even a country like Germany would probably be overwhelmed by such an epidemic. At the moment, the country only has around 50 beds set up in isolation units.

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Incineration instead of sunlight In some of the affected West African regions, contaminated suits are hung out in the sun in an attempt to disinfect them for further use. But it's much safer to burn the clothing immediately after use, as seen here in Guinea. However, supply shortages and the high prices of suits make such advice difficult to follow. Protective clothing can cost between €30 and €200 ($40-$250).

Ebola: Fight against the deadly virus Airport controls Air travelers represent the biggest threat when it comes to transmission of the virus over long distances. For this reason, travelers' temperatures are now being monitored at some airports. However, this method does not provide absolute security: Ebola's incubation period is up to 21 days. Author: Marcus Lütticke / cmk



Encouraging

"What this means is that we do now have what look like [two] treatments for a disease for which not long ago we really had no approach at all."

In the study, fewer people died among those given the Regeneron drug or the NIH's — about 30% compared to half who received ZMapp. More striking, when patients sought care early — before too much virus was in their bloodstream - mortality was just 6% with the Regeneron drug and 11% with the NIH compound, compared to about 24% for ZMapp, Fauci said.

The World Health Organization says the findings should encourage more people to seek care rapidly, even as further study continues.

At least 1,800 people have been killed by the deadly virus since the outbreak began a year ago — the second-worst Ebola outbreak on record. Between 2013 and 2016, Ebola infected around 28,000 people in West Africa, killing an estimated 11,300 in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The first cases of the current outbreak were reported in eastern DRC in August 2018.

kw/aw (AP, Reuters)

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