Medical professionals in several countries are working on a vaccine against Covid-19 and new testing methods. Who is testing the vaccines and can we hope for a widely available treatment in the near future?
In mid-March, the World Health Organization listed 41 variants of “vaccine candidates.” Developers of vaccine candidates include major global pharmaceutical companies and renowned universities – the University of Oxford in England and the Pasteur Institute in France. Some of them have announced the start of human clinical trials in the past week. Which vaccines are being tested and in which countries?
In recent days, clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine have begun in volunteers in several U.S. cities. According to the BBC, at Inovio’s research center in San Diego, the trials will take several months, but even if they are completely successful, the vaccine will not be available for mass use until the middle of next year. On Friday, Russia’s Rospotrebnadzor announced the start of trials for a vaccine against Covid-19. The press service of the agency mentioned the implementation of the vaccine in the fourth quarter of 2020. RBK reports that the drug will be tested on animals. Earlier, two hospitals in Boston announced human trials of a potential vaccine. Three volunteers are participating in the program at Massachusetts General Hospital, but some of them will receive a placebo. Specialists at the Kaiser Permanente research center in Seattle vaccinated four volunteers with an experimental dose, the Associated Press reported on March 17.
Information on vaccine development was previously announced at the Kazan Federal University. On Tuesday, the Chinese company CanSino Biologics announced that its version of the vaccine, called Ad5-nCoV, has been approved for the first phase of clinical trials. The vaccine contains a fragment of the virus’ genetic code, according to Newsweek.
Optimizing coronavirus testing methods is an important aspect of controlling the epidemic. Some European countries and the United States have experienced a shortage of test kits. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised this week that 25,000 people in Britain would be tested for the virus every day. But on Wednesday, the chairman of the British College of Physicians, Martin Marshall, admitted that Britain is facing a shortage of tests for Covid-19.
What do chickens have to do with it? Israeli scientists against the coronavirus. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. The number of offers should remain: episodes. The end of the story: Advertising in podcasts.
The shortage of kits is also being complained about in Northern Italy, one of the hardest hit regions in Europe. New ways of testing for viruses are also being developed. On Thursday, a team of scientists from Israel reported the first successful test of a new method. According to its developers, this molecular testing method can process multiple samples simultaneously. In Europe and the USA, several companies have released home testing kits this week. However, there is a licensing problem in America. Currently, none of the kits are licensed by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The British Prime Minister also promised to buy antibody tests that are produced in the body in response to the coronavirus. Similar to pregnancy tests, people will be able to do these tests themselves to check if they have already had Covid-19. This is important because many people carry the disease without symptoms and become carriers of the virus. People who have had the disease and developed immunity can return to their normal activities without the risk of infecting others.