COVID-19 vaccine not guaranteed, says leading world health expert
What's the story
With more than 160,000 deaths and 2.3 million infected cases globally, COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc around the world. The disease is spreading rapidly, keeping billions of people indoors and hoping that an anti-viral drug or a preventive vaccine for the disease will come soon. But, according to a leading global health expert, there is no guarantee of that. Here's what he says.
Comments
World Health Organization envoy speaks on COVID-19 vaccine
In a conversation with The Observer, professor David Nabarro, an envoy for the World Health Organization on COVID-19, said people should not assume that a vaccine for COVID-19 will soon be on its way. "You don't necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus," he said, noting that "some viruses are very, very difficult when it comes to vaccine development."
Solution
People would have to adapt to this situation
While Nabarro did not mention why developing a COVID-19 vaccine would be difficult, he did say that this situation means we should be prepared to live in a world where COVID-19 is a constant threat. "For the foreseeable future (until vaccine comes), we are going to have to find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat," he emphasized.
Focus
Isolation and protection would have to be focal points
To help people adapt to this life, Nabarro added, health workers would have to focus on "isolating those who show signs of the disease," their contacts, and protect older people with pre-existing health conditions. "In addition, hospital capacity for dealing with cases will have to be ensured. That is going to be the new normal for us all," he said.
Vaccines
Work related to COVID-19 vaccine going on
Nabarro's remarks are not the most reassuring, but they do highlight the worst possible scenario. If all things go as planned, we might get a vaccine for the disease as early as in the first half of 2021. Multiple organizations are moving to develop a safe and effective vaccine, including Johnson & Johnson, China's CanSinoBIO, and US pharmaceutical company Moderna Therapeutics.