COULD A LLAMA SAVE US FROM COVID-19? Meet Winter, a 4-Legged Hero of Vaccine Research
At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Llamas? Really? What will these scientists think up next?” But in fact, Winter wasn’t an outside-of-the-box discovery during the COVID-19 vaccine scramble. Llamas have been helping scientists battle viruses for years. That’s because, along with her fuzzy brown coat and long eyelashes, Winter has a unique virus treatment hidden in her blood: llama antibodies. According to The New York Times, Winter has participated in past studies for both SARS and MERS — diseases also caused by coronaviruses — and her antibodies fought off both infections. Llamas have also helped out with research for HIV and influenza. It turns out llama antibodies are smaller than the ones found in humans, which makes it easier for them to wiggle into the tiny pockets in virus- carrying proteins. This superpower gives them the ability to “neutralize” viruses, including COVID-19. Studies are now showing that
using these llama antibodies in humans could potentially keep coronaviruses from entering human cells as well. At least two separate llama studies have shown the effectiveness of these antibodies on coronavirus infections. This summer, a team of researchers from the U.K. discovered that llama antibodies “have the potential to be used in a similar way to convalescent serum, effectively stopping progression of the virus in patients who are ill” when given to those patients in a transfusion. They also suggested that a cocktail of llama and human antibodies could be even more successful at temporarily blocking the virus. Studies of the latter are in the works, and scientists around the world have their fingers crossed for success. In the meantime, Winter will continue peacefully grazing in Belgium, unaware that she just might play a role in saving the world.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, people have turned to their four-legged friends for help and comfort. In Nebraska, an 11-year-old girl and her pony, Peanut, cheered up nursing home residents through their windows this spring, while in Pennsylvania, an award- winning golden retriever named Jackson starred in videos that kept thousands laughing. Pets like these have given the national mood a boost, but another four-legged critter deserves just as much recognition. Her name is Winter, and she’s the 4-year-old llama whose antibodies could help us beat the coronavirus.
How Panera and Taco Bell Have Weathered the Pandemic
And Shown Businesses How They Can Thrive in Adversity
When COVID-19 first struck the U.S. back in late March, restaurants were among the businesses hit the hardest. Americans were all of a sudden out of work and without the extra income they once used to enjoy eating out. However, it hasn’t been all doom and gloom for the restaurant industry since then. Some franchises have discovered how not only to survive but also thrive in these uncertain times — and they’ve shown other restaurants of all sizes how to do the same. It all comes down to generating customer loyalty. Customers become loyal to a brand when they feel a brand offers them products and services they can get excited about — something that they can’t get anywhere else. Take Panera Bread’s coffee subscription program, for instance. Started shortly before the pandemic hit, the program added value for loyal Panera customers, and so it continued to grow well into 2020 despite all odds. It currently has around 40 million members, and according to Panera’s CEO, these customers generate 6–10 times as much value as other customers. Taco Bell, however, went beyond just loyalty programs to personalize their customers’ online experience. More and more people, if they’re eating out at all, are ordering their food online. Taco Bell has taken advantage of that to message their loyal customers about new products, new safety measures, and business insights.
So, with all that in mind, what can a local restaurant learn from one of these two huge franchises? Well, it’s business 101 that it’s much cheaper to keep an existing customer than to find a new one. That’s why creating a loyalty program to retain customers can be a help to any restaurant, whether it’s a corner hot dog cart or a fast-food joint with thousands of locations. Plus, really focusing on your existing customers will let them know they’re cared for and make them more likely to tell their friends about your exceptional customer service. They’ll keep coming back, even when times are tough.
2 WWW.POPALOCKKY.COM
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