Newsbrief: Finding the Cure

Human vaccine testing for the coronavirus is on the way, but won’t lead to an immediate care-free lifestyle, according to The Guardian.

“About 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create such a vaccine, at least four of which already have candidates they have been testing in animals”, says Laura Spinney, who wrote the LA Times article. The companies researching for a vaccine want to ensure they can open doors to other vaccines for the future.

Human trials consist of three stages: First, healthy patients are given the vaccine for safety precautions, and side effects. Second, the vaccine is given to hundreds, infected with the disease to test the results. Lastly, it is given to thousands affected by the disease, assuming all is well with the first and second phases of testing. 

“Not all horses that leave the starting gate will finish the race,” says Bruce Gellin, head of the global immunisation programme for the Washington DC-based nonprofit, the Sabin Vaccine Institute. Gellin attempts to say that though countless hours of research and testing have taken place, there is no way to a 100% success rate, thus far.

Creating a vaccine for the coronavirus is the biggest world-wide task at hand today. Though researchers are closing in on their goal, a second barrier that comes about quickly after, is the quantity. The United States has projected to have over a million cases at the virus’s peak, whether the vaccine can be replicated for all patients around the world at that quantity is the next step in curing this disease.

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well at home and settling in nicely to the new working environments. Thankfully, my family has been kind enough to leave me alone for the time I need to get work done. Other than schoolwork, I’ve been trying to keep myself healthy and in shape, so my teammates and I can go into next year’s lacrosse season hungrier and more ready than ever to compete for a NE-10 championship.