Coronavirus vaccine is being developed in order to contain the virus. People all across the world are worried about the virus and are taking necessary precautions from being affected by it.
It has been rather only three months since the Coronavirus has emerged in China, causing fever, coughing, and, in severe cases, pneumonia. The disease known as Covid-19 has made its foray into several countries and many people have been affected by it. There has been much worldwide concern expressed about it and in all countries, necessary precautions are being taken to deal with it. Efforts are on to come up with a Coronavirus vaccine as it is the need of the hour. The virus is deadly and needs to be treated.
People are making use of face masks all across the world. Travelers are being rounded and checked medically to ensure that they are not infected by the virus. The World Health Organization is much concerned about Covid-19’s fatality rate which is growing globally. It is very contagious. Still, most people do recover in a week or two, without the need for hospitalization. There is panic no doubt, as people are scared they will be infected by it.
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More about COVID-19
COVID-19 is a potentially fatal respiratory illness and is forcing the cancellation of major events, postponing sports seasons and sending many people into self-imposed quarantine.
Scientists are making earnest efforts to better understand the virus’s genetic makeup, how it infects cells and also how effectively it can be treated. As of now, there is no cure, and medical specialists can only treat the symptoms of the disease. However, the long-term strategy to combat COVID-19 has spread to every continent worldwide besides Antarctica in order to develop a vaccine.
Developing new vaccines does take time and they must be rigorously tested and confirmed safe via clinical trials prior to being routinely made use of in humans.
Vaccines are incredibly important in fighting against diseases.
What is a vaccine?
A vaccine is a type of treatment that is aimed at stimulating the body’s immune system to fight against infectious pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses.
As the human body is resilient to disease, it is better to evolve a natural defense system against nasty disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. The defense system which happens to be the immune system is made up of different types of white blood cells that can rather detect as well as destroy foreign invaders. Some eat up the bacteria, some produce antibodies which can tell the body what to destroy and take out the germs, while other cells memorize what the invaders tend to look like, so the body that the body responds quickly if they invade again.
Making of a COVID-19 vaccine
The pathogen at the center of the outbreak, SARS-CoV-2, actually belongs to the family of viruses referred to as coronaviruses. In developing a vaccine that does target SARS-CoV-2, scientists are making conscious efforts. The projections do enable the virus to enter human cells where it can rather replicate and make copies of itself. They are known as “spike proteins” or “S” proteins. Researchers have indeed been able to map the projections in 3D, and the research does show that a viable antigen can be in any Coronavirus vaccine.
This so as the S protein is prevalent in Coronaviruses battled against in the past which includes one that caused the SARS outbreak in China in 2002-03. On account of this, the researchers got a head start on building vaccines against part of the S protein and also making use of animal models. Coronavirus vaccine is being prepared by companies in order to ensure that the virus does not take its toll.
Several companies across the world working on a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine are involved in developing different ways to stimulate the immune system. Some research organizations are focusing on amplifying the immune response. This approach is targeted more toward the elderly, who do not respond as effectively when vaccinated. It is hoped that by studying adjuvants to boost a vaccine, the elderly can be vaccinated with a mix of ingredients that would rather supercharge their immunity.
When will a vaccine be available?
It is understood that the vaccine is roughly a year and a half away, even though human trials do start within the next month or two. Efforts are on.
Vaccine production takes a long time as many steps are involved and a lot of regulatory hurdles that need to be got over. Coronavirus vaccine is the need of the hour as people are much concerned about the virus.
Also read: Coronavirus Symptoms, Causes, Treatments