An antibody is a protein that is naturally produced by the immune system in response to an infection. A monoclonal antibody is a molecule developed in a laboratory that is designed to mimic or enhance the body’s natural immune system response against an invader, such as cancer or an infection. Monoclonal antibodies have an advantage over other types of treatment for infection because they are created to specifically target an essential part of the infectious process. A monoclonal antibody is created by exposing a white blood cell to a particular viral protein, which is then cloned to mass produce antibodies to target that virus. Prior to COVID-19, monoclonal antibodies were developed to treat several viral infections, such as Ebola and rabies. (source: JAMA NETWORK )