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Coronavirus: Are we getting closer to a vaccine or drug? Coronavirus vaccine: When will we have one?
(21 days later)
Coronavirus is spreading around the world, but there are still no drugs that can kill the virus or vaccines that can protect against it. Coronavirus is spreading around the world, but there are still no vaccines to protect the body against the disease it causes, Covid-19.
So how far are we from these life-saving medicines? Medical researchers are working hard to change that.
What sort of progress is being made Why is a coronavirus vaccine important?
Research is happening at breakneck speed, and there are more than 20 vaccines currently in development. Among those under way at the moment are: The virus spreads easily and the majority of the world's population is still vulnerable to it. A vaccine would provide some protection by training people's immune systems to fight the virus so they should not become sick.
Tests like these are taking place much quicker than would normally be the case, and some are using new approaches to vaccines. It follows that there are no guarantees everything will go smoothly. This would allow lockdowns to be lifted more safely, and social distancing to be relaxed.
But even if these - or any other tests - do prove successful, it's not expected that manufacturers will be able to produce a mass-produced vaccine until the second half of 2021. What sort of progress is being made?
Remember, there are four coronaviruses that already circulate in human beings. They cause the common cold, and we don't have vaccines for any of them. Research is happening at breakneck speed. About 80 groups around the world are researching vaccines and some are now entering clinical trials.
However, no-one know how effective any of these vaccines will be.
When will we have a coronavirus vaccine?
A vaccine would normally take years, if not decades, to develop. Researchers hope to achieve the same amount of work in only a few months.
Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become available by mid-2021, about 12-18 months after the new virus, known officially as Sars-CoV-2, first emerged.
That would be a huge scientific feat and there are no guarantees it will work.
Four coronaviruses already circulate in human beings. They cause common cold symptoms and we don't have vaccines for any of them.
What do I need to know about the coronavirus?What do I need to know about the coronavirus?
Could existing drugs treat coronavirus? What still needs to be done?
Doctors are testing current anti-viral drugs to see if they work against coronavirus. This speeds up research as they are known to be safe to give to people. Multiple research groups have designed potential vaccines, however, there is much more work to do.
Trials are taking place in England and Scotland on a small number of patients with an anti-viral called remdesivir. This was originally developed as an Ebola drug, but also appears effective against a wide variety of viruses. Lockdowns could make this process slower. If fewer people are infected, it will take longer to know whether a vaccine actually works.
Similar trials have already been carried out in China and the US, and results are expected in the next few weeks. The idea of giving people the vaccine and then deliberately infecting them (known as a challenge study) would give quicker answers, but is seen as too dangerous while there is no known treatment.
There was much hope that a pair of HIV drugs (lopinavir and ritonavir) would be effective, but the trial data is disappointing. How many people need to be vaccinated?
They did not improve recovery, reduce deaths or lower levels of the coronavirus in patients with serious Covid-19. However, as the trial was conducted with extremely sick patients (nearly a quarter died) it may have been too late in the infection for the drugs to work. It is hard to know without knowing how effective the vaccine is going to be.
Studies are also taking place on an anti-malarial drug called chloroquine. Laboratory tests have shown it can kill the virus, and there is some anecdotal evidence from doctors that it appears to help. However, the World Health Organization says there is no definitive evidence of its effectiveness. It is thought that 60-70% of people needed to be immune to the virus in order to stop it spreading easily (known as herd immunity).
Would a vaccine protect people of all ages? But that would be billions of people around the world if the vaccine worked perfectly.
It will, almost inevitably, be less successful in older people. This is not because of the vaccine itself, but aged immune systems do not respond as well to immunisation. We see this every year with the flu jab.
Will there be side effects?
All medicines, even common pain-killers, have side effects. But without clinical trials it is impossible to know what the side effects of an experimental vaccine may be.
This is something on which regulators will want to keep a close eye.
Who would get a vaccine?
If a vaccine is developed then there will be a limited supply, at least in the early stages, so it will be important to prioritise.
Healthcare workers who come into contact with Covid-19 patients would be at the top of the list. The disease is most deadly in older people so they would be a priority if the vaccine was effective in this age group. However, it might be better to vaccinate those who live with or care for the elderly instead.
Until a vaccine or treatment is ready what can I do?
Vaccines prevent infections and the best way of doing that at the moment is good hygiene.
If you are infected by coronavirus, then for most people it would be mild and can be treated at home with bed-rest, paracetamol and plenty of fluids. Some patients may develop more severe disease and need hospital treatment.
How do you create a vaccine?How do you create a vaccine?
Vaccines harmlessly show viruses or bacteria (or even small parts of them) to the immune system. The body's defences recognise them as an invader and learn how to fight them.Vaccines harmlessly show viruses or bacteria (or even small parts of them) to the immune system. The body's defences recognise them as an invader and learn how to fight them.
Then if the body is ever exposed for real, it already knows how to fight the infection. Then if the body is ever exposed for real, it already knows what to do.
The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus.The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus.
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is made by using weakened versions of those viruses that cannot cause a full-blown infection. The seasonal flu jab is made by taking the main strains of flu doing the rounds and completely disabling them. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is made by using weakened viruses that cannot cause a full-blown infection. The seasonal flu jab takes the main strains of flu doing the rounds and completely disables them.
The work on a new coronavirus vaccine is using newer, and less tested, approaches called "plug and play" vaccines. Because we know the genetic code of the new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, we now have the complete blueprint for building that virus. The work on a new coronavirus vaccine is using newer, and less tested, approaches called "plug and play" vaccines. Because we know the genetic code of the new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, we have the complete blueprint for building it.
Some vaccine scientists are lifting small sections of the coronavirus's genetic code and putting it into other, completely harmless, viruses. Researchers in Oxford have put small sections of its genetic code into a harmless virus that infects chimpanzees. They hope they have developed a safe virus that looks enough like the coronavirus to produce an immune response.
Now you can "infect" someone with the harmless bug and in theory give some immunity against infection.
Other groups are using pieces of raw genetic code (either DNA or RNA depending on the approach) which, once injected into the body, should start producing bits of viral proteins which the immune system again can learn to fight.Other groups are using pieces of raw genetic code (either DNA or RNA depending on the approach) which, once injected into the body, should start producing bits of viral proteins which the immune system again can learn to fight.
Would a vaccine protect people of all ages?
It will, almost inevitably, be less successful in older people, because aged immune systems do not respond as well to immunisation. We see this with the annual flu jab.
It may be possible to overcome this by either giving multiple doses or giving it alongside a chemical (called an adjuvant) that gives the immune system a boost.
Who would get a vaccine?
If a vaccine is developed, then there will be a limited supply, at least initially, so it will be important to prioritise.
Healthcare workers who come into contact with Covid-19 patients would top the list. The disease is most deadly in older people so they would be a priority if the vaccine was effective in this age group.
However, it might be better to vaccinate those who live with or care for the elderly instead.
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