ViewsMidEast by CartoonArts International for March 13, 2021
March 12, 2021
Researchers were not starting from scratch when they learned about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
SARS-CoV-2 is a member of the coronavirus family. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, there are hundreds of coronaviruses including four that can cause the common cold, as well as the coronaviruses that sparked the SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, epidemic in 2002 and the emergence of MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome, in 2012.
Dr. Eric J. Yager, an associate professor of microbiology at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Albany, NY, told MNT that scientists have been studying coronaviruses for over 50 years. This meant scientists had existing data on the structure, genome, and life cycle of this type of virus.
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PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Since the global outbreak that triggered the pandemic, scientists around the world have been working on potential treatments and vaccines for the new coronavirus disease known as COVID-19… and they have been making progress at a rapid pace, perhaps the fastest in history. Several companies are working on antiviral drugs, some of which are already in use against other illnesses, to treat people who have COVID-19, which could provide the fastest track of all. Other companies are working on vaccines that could be used as a preventive measure against the disease. Last week, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine created by Pfizer-BioNTech. An article in Medical News today added: The United States is the latest country to join Canada and the United Kingdom in approving a COVID-19 vaccine. Creating a vaccine in under 1 year is no small feat. While the coronavirus pa
HEAR THEM OUT
Given the stress and confusion of this past year, and the government’s unwavering commitment to repeatedly make the wrong decisions at the wrong time, it’s not hard to see why some people may be slightly apprehensive about being told by Boris Johnson and his cronies what to put in their body. With this in mind, it’s important that you afford your sceptical friend or relative the space and time to air their grievances. If you dismiss them out of hand, they’re likely to dig deeper and become further entrenched in misinformation. A common worry is that the pace with which the vaccine was created, tested, and administered was too great to allow for rigorous safeguarding. However, it’s important to remember that this was a global collaboration on a scale never seen before, with governments around the world pooling billions of dollars into research, clinical trials, and data sharing.
for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine created by Pfizer-BioNTech. The United States is the latest country to join Canada and the United Kingdom in approving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Creating a vaccine in under 1 year is no small feat. While the coronavirus pandemic made a new normal of mask-wearing and physical distancing, it also spurred global cooperation for vaccine research and distribution.
However, a vaccine is only effective if people are willing to receive it. With rapid research development, some may be concerned that the vaccine was rushed, and with these concerns comes vaccine hesitancy.