As the countries around the world continue to combat the ongoing global pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the head of the World Health Organization announced that the first trial of a vaccine that might help deal with this calamity has finally begun.
As WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has explained, this process was initiated about two months after the generic sequence of the pathogen was shared, which he described as an "incredible achievement".
"The first vaccine trial has begun, just 60 days after the genetic sequence of the #coronavirus was shared. This is an incredible achievement.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 18, 2020
We commend the researchers around the world who have come together to systemically evaluate experimental therapeutics"-@DrTedros #COVID19
"Multiple small trials with different methods may not give us the clear, strong evidence we need about which treatments help to save lives", Dr. Tedros announced, revealing that WHO launched a large international study called "the Solidarity trial", whose goal is to determine which treatments are the most effective.
"This large, international study is designed to generate the robust data we need, to show which treatments are the most effective.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 18, 2020
We have called this study the SOLIDARITY trial"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #coronavirus
The WHO head also added that Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand have already confirmed their intent to join this initiative, and has expressed hope that other countries may follow suit.
"I continue to be inspired by the many demonstrations of solidarity from all over the world", he remarked, praising those who donated money to the cause. "These and other efforts give me hope that together, we can and will prevail."
"These and other efforts give me hope that together, we can and will prevail.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 18, 2020
This #coronavirus is presenting us with an unprecedented threat. But it’s also an unprecedented opportunity to come together as one against a common enemy"-@DrTedros #COVID19
Meanwhile, Shibo Jiang, professor of virology at Shanghai's University of Fudan and the New York Blood Center, warned that the search for the vaccine shouldn't be rushed and that all proper safety protocols should be observed during that process.
"It's essential that we work as hard and fast as possible to develop drugs and vaccines that are widely available across the world," he wrote in the Nature magazine. "But it is important not to cut corners."
