This is the isolation unit used to transport Alexei Navalny to hospital, preventing anyone else from coming into contact with the toxin
Novichok nerve agents were developed in secret by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s, though deadly nerve agents have been around since the 1930s. It’s believed that the initial development of these agents began as an alternative to insecticides. However, when their harmful effects on humans were discovered, this opened the door to a new potential use as chemical weapons. Nerve agents work by wreaking havoc on the nervous system. By disrupting the way nerves communicate with each other, Novichok can cause severe health issues that often result in death.
Nerves talk to one another by releasing a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which travels from one nerve cell to another across a synaptic junction. This is also how they talk to muscle cells. The acetylcholine binds with a muscle cell, signalling it to contract and creating movement. During normal cellular conversations, once the acetylcholine has reached a nerve or muscle cell it is broken down by an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase. Without this enzyme, acetylcholine would continue sending messages to more and more cells, a fact that Novichok exploits. When poisoned with Novichok, the acetylcholinesterase is prevented from breaking down the neurotransmitter, which accumulates. This leads to a constant contraction of the muscles, causing paralysis and convulsions and also preventing normal breathing from taking place. Symptoms can occur quickly - within 30 seconds of being poisoned in some cases - which include foaming at the mouth and hallucinations. There is an antidote to help prevent damage to the body, called atropine, but it must be administered quickly to prevent irreversible damage.