I read it the opposite way- am also a layperson but have memory of reading similar distilled versions of the research into HIV.

With COVID updates like this come every week; in the 1990s with HIV it was more like every few months there was some new report/observation. But those- like these were framed with the similar- holy shit, this virus does stuff we have never seen before.

I would caution to not infer that anything like a viable solution at scale on either the preventative side or the treatment side is anywhere near deployment.