Possible COVID-19 vacinne awaiting federal approval for human trials and other possible treatments.

[Michael]

As the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy says: Don't panic.

It looks like the University of Pittsburgh is ready to conduct human trials of a possible vaccine for COVID-19. Apparently it works in animals, but it hasn't yet been tested on humans.

https://nypost.com/2020/04/02/scientists-believe-they-found-potential-coronavirus-vaccine/
UPMC discusses potential COVID-19 vaccine

A University of British Columbia researcher has also found a trial drug that effectively blocks the cellular door that COVID-19 uses to infect its hosts.

Trial drug can significantly block early stages of COVID-19 in engineered human tissues

"Our new study provides very much needed direct evidence that a drug -- called APN01 (human recombinant soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 -- hrsACE2) -- soon to be tested in clinical trials by the European biotech company Apeiron Biologics, is useful as an antiviral therapy for COVID-19," says Dr. Art [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]sky, a scientist at the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital and professor at the University of Toronto who is a collaborator on the study.

France (and now the US) have also sanctioned drug treatments that look promising in a clinical trial in France.

France Sanctions Drug After Nearly All Patients Recover COVID-19

It could still be months before any of these vaccines and treatments are fully tested and shown to be effective, but at least there are promising vaccines and treatments available for clinical testing today. That's progress IMO. I suspect that the vaccine from the University of Pittsburgh will be fast tracked for human trials, just like the chloroquine/azithromycin treatment options.

 

[Kessa]

I'm praying it works!

 

[Michael]

I'm praying it works!

Me too. I think we're about to turn a corner and get the upper hand on COVID-19.

A lot of the success of lowering the immediate death rate of COVID-19 will depend on the effectiveness of chloroquine/azithromycin treatments, and our current efforts at slowing down the spread of the virus. The long term hope of defeating the virus will depend on finding an effective vaccine. Viruses also tend to mutate over time so it's anyone's guess at the moment, but at least there's hope for starting some real clinical trials of both treatments and vaccines. That seems like real progress to me.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

This news report seems dilapidated to me. Just the other day I was reading a report (from what I assumed was a credible news outlet) that human trials for a covid vaccine had already been administered to people as early as March 16. I will try to find the page, come back, and post it. But this one here is good too. Any progress is good.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Yes. This isn't the same one I originally read. But it's still another.

NIH clinical trial of investigational vaccine for COVID-19 begins

 

[Strathos]

Interesting name that the doctor has...

 

[Michael]

Yes. This isn't the same one I originally read. But it's still another.

NIH clinical trial of investigational vaccine for COVID-19 begins

Thanks for that link. I had not seen that until now. It looks like that vaccine study has already received approval for human trials and it's looking for volunteers. They're a little ahead of the Pittsburgh study apparently. That's great.

I think it's really important to remember that we live in a modern society with a lot of medical technologies. It's only a matter of time before we get the upper hand in terms of medical treatments and prevention.

I'm frankly more worried about the economic fallout than I am worried about contracting COVID-19. In my county (Siskiyou) there are a total of three confirmed cases, and they're all quarantined. The economic pain however is quite real and pretty severe. I sure hope that things get back to normal pretty soon.

 

[Richard T]

Remdesivir, an anti-viral from Gilead Sciences is due to announce how their testing is working any day now. It has been in testing on COV patients for over a month and has thus far shown some promise. Lots of smart people working on solutions.

 

[Michael]

Remdesivir, an anti-viral from Gilead Sciences is due to announce how their testing is working any day now. It has been in testing on COV patients for over a month and has thus far shown some promise. Lots of smart people working on solutions.

I think it's important for the media to focus some of it's attention on possible solutions to the problem, not *just* the problem itself. The good news is that we live in modern society with a lot of medical resources at our disposal. An enormous amount of effort is being made to come up with vaccines and treatments, some of which are already available for further testing in real patients.