Right now, we’re on defense concerning fighting the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. It’s a time for stacking sandbags and hunkering down by social distancing, washing hands constantly, and avoiding touching one’s face.
This is the way…for the time being.
Until we have some treatments that are ready to be mass deployed, such as hydroxychloroquine, which is reported to be effective, then that would be a key stopgap measure until we have a proper vaccine. As of yesterday, and the numbers are definitely higher today, the U.S. has over 230,000 Wuhan viral infections, with over 5,700 dying from it. It’s a serious disease. It’s highly contagious. And no one is immune. The young have a much greater shot at recovery if infected, but that does not mean they cannot get sick or die from the Wuhan virus. Many already have experienced the former, and tragically, some have the latter. The immunocompromised and the elderly remain, as with any viral infection, the group that is a great risk of death if they contract this disease.
This virus can live on some surfaces for up to three days, which is why staying at home is key.
So, when will we have a vaccine? Johnson & Johnson said it hopes to start testing for one in September, but a year to a year-and-a-half appears to be the timeframe. Yet, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, scientists say they may have found one already. What’s more, is that their findings show their supposed treatment can be rolled out rapidly to reduce the spread of the virus. The delivery system is not one injection, but in a fingertip-sized patch containing 400 “microneedles” (via NY Post):
Today, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine @PittHealthSci scientists announced a potential vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus causing the #COVID19 pandemic. https://t.co/ILW4IQfou7 pic.twitter.com/Y7l0SifBtn
— UPMC (@UPMCnews) April 2, 2020
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