SA part of a charge to develop a vaccine
WITH infections of the coronavirus surpassing the 1.3million mark and deaths at 76 507 worldwide, the rush to find a cure is increasing, with South Africa playing its part.
Globally, more than 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create a vaccine, at least four of which already have candidates to test on animals.
Dr Melinda Suchard, head of the Centre for Vaccines and Immunology at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said: “There are trials of various existing therapies to see if they can be repurposed for coronavirus.
“They include interferon, lopinavir/ritonavir – which have been used as antivirals against other viruses – and chloroquine, an antimalarial with immune effects.
“South Africa is going to participate in this research, led by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Because these are existing drugs, results should be available rapidly, within the next few months.”
Suchard said more specific therapies were likely to be designed and directed against Covid-19 but they would take much longer to develop, manufacture and test.
“Other therapies under investigation include the use of plasma (blood) from healed patients. Monoclonal antibodies (sticky proteins which bind selectively to a target) also hold promise for targeting the virus or the person’s immune system.
“Coronavirus vaccines are also in development internationally, with the aim of being able to prevent infection with Covid-19. These vaccines will likely take at least a year or 18 months to be developed and tested,” she said.
On Monday the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the vaccine and treatment research had accelerated at an “incredible speed”.
More than 70 countries have joined the WHO’s trials to accelerate research on effective treatments and 20 institutions and companies “are racing to develop a vaccine”.
In South Africa, confirmed cases stand at 1 749 and another death has brought the death toll to 13. In the province there are 490 confirmed cases.
National Health Department spokesperson Popo Maja said: “Our scientists are part of the global movement to find a vaccine. We don’t know how long it will take. The most important thing for us is to save lives.
“What needs to happen for the time being is personal hygiene and physical distance should be a feature of our behaviour in public spaces.”
Director of Research at UWC, Professor Burtram Fielding, said: “Typically the development of antivirals, drugs or vaccines is a very costly, long process. Even if we’re rushing these through the various development stages, we need to ensure that it all passes rigorous testing for safety and efficacy.
“Best estimates indicate we could have a vaccine by the middle of 2021. Should the current antiviral and drugs (used for other diseases) prove effective in treating Covid-19 in clinical trials, it could be much sooner.”