The corona virus is spreading around the world, but there is still no medicine to kill it or a vaccine to protect us from it.
How much progress has been made?
Research is being done at breakneck speed, and more than 20 vaccines are currently being developed. Among those currently being worked on are:
- The first human test of the vaccine was announced last month by scientists at a laboratory in the US city of Seattle. They decided to take the unusual step of skipping any animal research to test the vaccine’s safety or effectiveness.
- Australian scientists have begun injecting ferrets with two potential vaccines. It is the first large-scale preclinical test to move to animal trials, and researchers say they hope to move to human trials by the end of April.
What scientists still don’t know about Covid-19
Trials like these are happening much faster than they would normally be, and some are using new approaches to vaccines. Logically, there are no guarantees that everything will go smoothly.
But even if these tests – or any others – prove successful, manufacturers are not expected to be able to mass-produce vaccines until the second half of 2021.
Don’t forget, there are four coronaviruses already circulating in humans. They only cause the common cold, and we don’t have vaccines for any of them.
Can existing drugs cure the corona virus?
Doctors are testing current antiviral drugs to see if they work against the coronavirus. This is speeding up testing because they are known to be safe to give to people.
Trials are being conducted in England and Scotland on a small number of patients with an antiviral drug called remdesivir. It was originally developed as an Ebola drug, but has been shown to be effective against a wide range of viruses.
Similar trials are already underway in China and the US, with results expected in the next few weeks. There were high hopes that a pair of HIV drugs (lopinavir and ritonavir) would be effective, but the test data has been disappointing.
They did not improve recovery, reduce deaths, or lower levels of the coronavirus in patients with severe Covid-19. However, because the trials were conducted on extremely severe patients (almost a quarter of whom died), they may have been done too late in the infection for the drugs to work.
Studies are also being conducted on an anti-malarial drug called chloroquine. Laboratory tests have shown that it can kill the virus, and there is some evidence from doctors’ experience that it helps. However, the World Health Organization says there is no conclusive evidence of its effectiveness.
Will the vaccine protect people of all ages?
It will, almost inevitably, be less effective in older people. This is not because of the vaccine itself, but because aging immune systems do not respond as well to immunization. We see this every year with the flu vaccine.
Will there be any side effects?
All medications, even the most common pain relievers, have side effects. But without clinical tests, it is impossible to know what side effects the experimental vaccine might have.
This is something that regulators should pay particular attention to.
Who will be vaccinated?
If a vaccine is developed, there will be limited supplies, at least in the early stages, so it will be very important to prioritize distribution.
Healthcare workers who come into contact with patients infected with Covid-19 will be at the top of that list. The disease is most deadly in older people, so they will also be a priority if a vaccine proves effective in this age group. However, it may be better to vaccinate those who live with or care for the elderly instead.
Until the vaccine or medicine is ready, what can I do?
Vaccines prevent infection, and the best way to do that at this time is good hygiene.
If you contract the corona virus, then for most people the symptoms will be mild and they can be treated at home by lying in bed, taking paracetamol and plenty of fluids. Some patients may become more seriously ill and require hospital care.
How is a vaccine made?
Vaccines harmlessly introduce the immune system to viruses or bacteria (or even small parts of them). The body’s defense system recognizes them as intruders and learns how to fight them.
Then if the body is exposed to them for real, it already knows how to fight off the infection. The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus.
The measles, rubella and mumps (MMR) vaccine is made using weakened versions of these viruses that cannot cause a full infection. The seasonal flu vaccine is made by taking the main types of flu that are in circulation and completely incapacitating them.
Work on the novel coronavirus is using newer, less-tested approaches called “plug and play” vaccines.
Because we know the genetic code of the new corona virus, Sars-KoV-2, we now have a complete blueprint for its creation.
Some vaccine scientists are taking small pieces of the coronavirus’ genetic code and inserting it into other, completely harmless viruses. Now you can “infect” someone with a harmless flu and, in theory, give them immunity against this infection.
Other groups use pieces of raw genetic code (DNA or RNA, depending on the approach), which, once injected into the body, should start producing parts of viral proteins that the immune system can once again start learning to fight.
Translated from the BBC news website
