Medical scientists are working hard to invent the vaccine. (Simple)
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IT IS A SIMPLE SENTENCE ONLY DEAR..
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With an increasing number of confirmed cases in China and 24 other countries, the COVID-19 epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus (now known as SARS-CoV-2) looks concerning to many. As of Feb. 19, the latest numbers listed 74,280 confirmed cases including 2,006 deaths. Four of these deaths have occurred outside of mainland China: one each in the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong and France. The case in France is the first COVID-19 death outside of Asia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Jan. 30 that the outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
In light of these events, health experts around the world are now divided as to whether this event will become a pandemic, or whether it will be possible to contain transmission of this virus.
Towards a pandemic?
In a recent New York Times article Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said it was “increasingly unlikely that the virus can be contained.” In the same article, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), said, “It’s very, very transmissible, and it almost certainly is going to be a pandemic.”
On the other hand, the WHO remains optimistic. Its head of emergency responses, Dr. Michael Ryan, told STAT News, “there’s enough evidence to suggest that this virus can still be contained” and that “until [containment] is impossible, we should keep trying.”
This brings us to the scientists and experts who are doing just that, throwing everything they have at this public health issue. Some are focused on treating patients with existing or novel therapeutics, others are focused on stopping transmission between individuals by developing a vaccine. Luckily for scientists, lessons learned during the 2013-16 West African Ebola epidemic are now enabling the fast-track development of vaccines, without compromising their safety and efficacy.
Of course, it is critical to learn more about this specific novel virus, including its source and why transmission appears to be more efficient than with other coronaviruses.