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Here’s a list of health terms to help you navigate the latest COVID-19 research and updates.
Efficacy: How well something, like a vaccine or treatment, works in a clinical trial.
Variant: A virus that has changed from its original version. A variant usually has a “mistake” in an amino acid, which is also called a mutation.
Antibody: A protein our immune systems make to fight off germs. Antibodies can stay in our bodies and protect us from future infection.
Underlying condition: A condition that someone already has, like diabetes or asthma, that puts them at greater risk for complications from a virus or infection.
Therapeutic agent: A therapy or treatment for a medical condition. A therapeutic agent can help you feel better (therapy), fight off a disease (treatment), or do both (therapy and treatment).
Basic research: Science that helps us understand living systems and life processes better. This knowledge leads to better ways to predict, prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Basic research was key to COVID-19 vaccine development.