The virus, which many once believed would infect only a small group of international travelers, has infected nearly 750,000 Americans and killed 39,000. [Sources: 2, 3]
As health workers and scientists struggle to find the best ways to treat and end COVID 19, they face many unknowns about this deadly infection. With more than 1,000 confirmed cases of SARS - CoV 2.0 in the United States and more than 150,000 deaths, medical professionals and pathologists are struggling to understand the damage that the coronavirus does when it passes through the body. [Sources: 5, 12]
We are creating an adaptive research network that can leverage the experience of treating patients in a front line setting and use that experience to select and test the most promising new therapies and vaccines in clinical trials. We are creating and funding an emerging research network for SARS - CoV 2.0 and other coronaviruses to bring together scientific talent without different studies having to compete for resources and patients. This process accelerates human challenges and studies and leads to better outcomes for patients and healthcare providers. [Sources: 15, 16, 17]
More importantly, our goal is not only to find a cure for SARS - CoV 2.0 - but also to develop broadband inhibitors that are ready to be used when the emerging virus finds its way into clinical trials in the near future. [Sources: 9]
We must now prepare for a simultaneous outbreak of influenza with COVID 19, which could overwhelm the public health system and upset our efforts to combat it. The only way to end this pandemic, prevent future tragedies, and restore a sense of normality to the world is to ensure a cure for CoV 2.0 and strengthen public health. [Sources: 14, 17]
Unfortunately, we do not yet have the construction chops, but here is the challenge: we must be able to deliver a good vaccine in as few days as possible, even in the midst of a pandemic. Finally, of course, Americans must have been convinced to take sufficient vaccines to defeat the coronavirus. If we take these six steps to mobilize and organize the nation, Covid 19 can be defeated. [Sources: 1, 6, 11]
We have no vaccine to stop the sick, or any other treatment that helps them prevent worse than they are already getting in hospital. It is unacceptable that, with the number of cases rising in some parts of the country and the Americans being asked to return to work while others are pushed out, we have no idea how many people we need to combat the virus sustainably. This increases the risk of exposure and increasing social isolation, and makes it difficult for Americans, especially older Americans, to return to normal life as safely and quickly as possible. [Sources: 14, 17]
To successfully mitigate the negative effects of SARS-CoV-2, we must overcome the obstacles created by the virus. We understand that antiviral therapies could make a difference in the fight against COVID 19, but we should first understand that there are very few therapies available to physicians at the moment. TB, which has defeated the combination of antibiotics and HIV in combination with antiretroviral drugs in the past, and we expect that this will also be the way to defeat this disease. [Sources: 3, 11, 13]
In response to the current crisis, many private companies and governments are trying to generate vaccines and other medical advances in the short term. On 18 May, ACTIV announced that it would add six modified drug therapies to the master protocol by the end of May. [Sources: 0, 15]
In total, 23 vaccines have entered human trials, with another 100 or so still in development. Further research into the pathophysiology of the new coronavirus is needed before these therapies could be effective in treating Covid 19. A vaccine against Covids is thought to be years away, but studies looking at treatment options are crucial. [Sources: 6, 10, 13]
Serological tests will give a better idea of how many people have been infected with the coronavirus. If the US is able to conduct its tests intelligently, and there is a strong correlation between the number of cases and the severity of the outbreak, the additional tests carried out will help to control this outbreak. [Sources: 8, 16]
Even if the vaccine candidate proves safe and effective, it will take at least 12 to 18 months to become widely available, Bach believes, and even if it proves safe or effective. Anyone hoping that a vaccine will quickly change the course of a pandemic is hoping for the most unlikely outcome, "Bach said. [Sources: 7, 11]
New research on the virus suggests that infection rates could drop to tiny levels by then, while others say they could be as high as 20%, meaning the epidemic could burn out within months if only one in five people is infected. For this nightmare to really disappear, we must be vaccinated for ever, and for it to really disappear forever.
