VACCINE HOPE
»»Human trials start »»Scientists aiming in the UK next week for release in August TV’s Julia: End wild animal markets
A VACCINE trial on humans is set to begin within days as British scientists lead the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
And the tests could be completed by mid-August, said a key government advisor.
But Professor Sir John Bell, of the vaccine task force, warned we could face a longer wait before a treatment was publicly available.
Leading immunologist Sir John said: “If we can see evidence of a strong immune response by the middle or end of May, I think the game is on. Then there is the massive issue of how you manufacture many billions of doses.”
Human testing of a potential vaccine is due to be carried out across
THOUSANDS of Americans are hitting the beach after Donald Trump urged some state governors to lift lockdowns.
Crowds charged onto the sands in Jacksonville, Florida, as the state saw its highest increase yet in coronavirus cases, up by 1,421 on Friday to 24,753. Seasides filled up the UK this week by a team of experts from Oxford University.
Called the Recovery trial, it’s the world’s biggest and takes in 150 hospitals with up to 400 people taking part.
They will test the effectiveness of four different drugs.
These include hydroxychloroquine – a less toxic form of the anti-malaria drug chloroquine – an anti-inflammatory drug, a steroid and an antiretroviral drug normally used to treat HIV.
Similar trials in the US and Europe have a few hundred patients in total. A second expert, Prof Peter Horby,
TV presenter Julia Bradbury has said that she is horrified at the reopening of China’s meat markets. The former Countryfile host and campaigner told the Sunday Mirror: “It is far too soon.” Over 3,600 stalls are operating again at Baishizhou market in Wuhan,
Central China, the city where on both east and west coasts after the President urged supporters to “liberate” three states led by rival democrats.
His words were said to be encouraging protests against stayat-home restrictions.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee slammed them as “unhinged rantings” and ‘illegal and dangerous added: “The UK is leading the global fight against the pandemic. We’ve set up this trial in record time.
“It’s the biggest trial in the world and realistically by June or July we will get a very clear signal if the drugs are effective.”
WARNED
Drug companies and universities across the globe are racing to develop a Covid-19 vaccine.
There are at least 62 separate efforts currently under way, according to the World Health Organisation. But the coronavirus originated. Shocked Julia, 49, said: “It seems utterly ludicrous to be taking risks with any sort of wildlife markets.”
The World Health Organisation approved the reopening of Baishizhou, though trade of wild live animals and poultry at the market is still banned.
Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale acts” that put millions of Americans at risk of catching killer Covid-19.
Meanwhile a group of 13 other countries, including Britain, Italy and Germany, yesterday called for global co-operation to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic.
The group said it is committed to “work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, despite rising hopes of a breakthrough, Prof Will Irving, a virologist from Nottingham University, warned: “Until you try a vaccine, you don’t know whether it’s going to work or not. You can only prove that a vaccine works by carrying out appropriate clinical trials.
“There is a history of trials showing absolutely no effect.
“There are even some historical trials where the vaccine not only didn’t prevent the disease, it actually made it worse.
“With the best of intentions, you
Market, where Covid-19 is said to have originated, had remained shut since January 1. But last week we revealed how the wet market trade in Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia has continued.
Conservationist Julia, who runs walking website The Outdoor Guide, has backed the Sunday Mirror’s calls to urgently end the trade of wild animals. trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimise disruptions and recover stronger”.
Singapore yesterday reported a new daily record of 942 infections that saw its total surge to 5,992.
And Japan’s infection rate rose by 556 to more than 10,000.
Covid-19 is just getting under way in Africa, but has killed over 1,000. don’t know until you put it into trial. At a time of an epidemic like this, you could do it reasonably quickly.”
Meanwhile, other health chiefs warned it will be difficult to eliminate Covid-19 completely.
Dr Chris Smith, consultant clinical virologist at Cambridge University, said there was a widespread opinion that Covid-19 has “a really high prospect” of becoming another circulating coronavirus causing seasonal infections and cold-like symptoms.
But he said more severe outbreaks could be rare cases “because by the time that presumably happens the vast majority of us will have become immune to it.
“Either either because a vaccine has been invented or because we have become naturally infected with it.”
She said: “The positive of this pandemic is it has shone a light on these markets that many of us hadn’t heard about. Now we’ve seen it for ourselves.”
Julia, who has son Zephyr, 8, and twin girls Zena and Xanthe, five, added: “These places send a shiver down my spine. It is animal cruelty and lack of compassion for other living creatures.”