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Do not count on corona vaccine
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Top researcher: William Haseltine, a leading American researcher on HIV/AIDS and the human genome, is pessimistic about the rapid development of a #coronavaccin He points out to the news agency Reuters that good protection of the mucous membranes in the nose has always proved to be a major problem in the development of vaccines against other coronaviruses. Even now scientists are running into this, the NIS reports:
Researchers working in Oxford on a corona vaccine have a setback. As many virus particles were found in the noses of vaccinated rhesus monkeys as in unvaccinated animals. That's exactly what a good vaccine should prevent, that a virus can enter the body.
The Oxford vaccine and other experimental vaccines do not prevent infection, but do reduce the burden on the lungs. Although Haseltine believes it is possible to develop a vaccine that can prevent infection with Covid-19, he also says, “I wouldn't count on it.”
Haseltine sees more in detecting infections, isolating patients, wearing mouth caps, washing hands and keeping distance. According to him, China, South Korea and Taiwan have succeeded best in this strategy. The United States, Russia and Brazil, on the other hand, make no use of it.
Parallel to AIDS crisis
In an opinion paper published last week, Haseltine draws a parallel between the coronacrisis and the AIDS crisis of 35 years ago. In both pandemics, politicians initially cried that there was no cause for concern. The danger was trivialized, with the result that measures were not taken in time to prevent mortality.
Because of the SARS and MERS outbreaks of 2003 and 2012, we knew that a dangerous corona outbreak was possible, but policymakers did not use that knowledge, says Haseltine. “Although funds were made available for a solution at the height of the outbreak at SARS and MERS, the funds quickly dried up when the initial panic was over. Promising research was aborted prematurely.”
There was never a vaccine for HIV/AIDS, but Haseltine believes that we can learn from the way in which we can now control the HIV virus: using a cocktail of antivirals. Similar drugs should be developed according to Haseltine to inhibit the main enzymes in the coronavirus.
“If we do not act now to develop these drugs, we will fail to face the most vulnerable in our midst. We are also short of future generations, because it will only be a matter of time before a new coronavirus arrives that will be much more deadly and contagious.”
The Oxford vaccine and other experimental vaccines do not prevent infection, but do reduce the burden on the lungs. Although Haseltine believes it is possible to develop a vaccine that can prevent infection with Covid-19, he also says, “I wouldn't count on it.”
Haseltine sees more in detecting infections, isolating patients, wearing mouth caps, washing hands and keeping distance. According to him, China, South Korea and Taiwan have succeeded best in this strategy. The United States, Russia and Brazil, on the other hand, make no use of it.
Parallel to AIDS crisis
In an opinion paper published last week, Haseltine draws a parallel between the coronacrisis and the AIDS crisis of 35 years ago. In both pandemics, politicians initially cried that there was no cause for concern. The danger was trivialized, with the result that measures were not taken in time to prevent mortality.
Because of the SARS and MERS outbreaks of 2003 and 2012, we knew that a dangerous corona outbreak was possible, but policymakers did not use that knowledge, says Haseltine. “Although funds were made available for a solution at the height of the outbreak at SARS and MERS, the funds quickly dried up when the initial panic was over. Promising research was aborted prematurely.”
There was never a vaccine for HIV/AIDS, but Haseltine believes that we can learn from the way in which we can now control the HIV virus: using a cocktail of antivirals. Similar drugs should be developed according to Haseltine to inhibit the main enzymes in the coronavirus.
“If we do not act now to develop these drugs, we will fail to face the most vulnerable in our midst. We are also short of future generations, because it will only be a matter of time before a new coronavirus arrives that will be much more deadly and contagious.”
Source: https://joop.bnnvara.nl/
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