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Counting antibodies and taking shortcuts
Ever since we first heard of the COVID-19 virus, mankind has been on a quest to find a vaccine.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) there are 139 vaccines in pre-clinical trials tested on animals, and 28 in clinical trials tested on humans. Never has medical science gone as fast as it is doing today. But we are not there yet. Although no one really knows how long the journey will be, looking at the preliminary research results, we may well be halfway today. The more challenging second half is still to come.
Looking at the preliminary research results, we may well be halfway today. The more challenging second half is still to come
The pressure on medical science is huge, given the lockdowns have derailed our economies. Some governments are funding the research with fancy titles like “Project Warp Speed” and have already preordered large quantities of the not-yet-approved vaccines. The optimists are saying we might have a bulletproof vaccine by year-end while the pessimists say that three years would be more realistic and would still be remarkably fast. Remember that after 35 years of trying, we have not found ourselves a HIV vaccine yet.
This paper is intended to give a roadmap of the quest to find a vaccine, discuss the challenges ahead, describe the enemy we are facing, and list the companies involved. In order to find a proper vaccine there are a lot of antibodies which need to be counted and, given the economic pressure, it is all about taking shortcuts in getting a vaccine approved as fast and safely as possible.
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