Oxford scientist says Covid-19 vaccine could be ready by September

[iluvtennis]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-11/coronavirus-vaccine-could-be-ready-in-six-months-times

Coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
Leading scientist ‘80 per cent’ sure drug will work

A vaccine against the coronavirus could be ready by September, according to a scientist leading one of Britain’s most advanced teams.

Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, told The Times on Saturday that she is “80% confident” the vaccine would work, and could be ready by September. Experts have warned the public that vaccines typically take years to develop, and one for the coronavirus could take between 12 to 18 months at best.

In the case of the Oxford team, however, “it’s not just a hunch, and as every week goes by we have more data to look at,” Gilbert told the London newspaper.

Gilbert’s team is one of dozens worldwide working on a vaccine and is the most advanced in Britain, she told the Times. As the country looks set to begin its fourth week under lockdown, a vaccine could be fundamental in easing the measures and returning to normal life. Gilbert said human trials are due to start in the next two weeks.

Her remarks came as the death toll from the virus pushed past 100,000 globally. On Friday, the U.K. reported 980 fatalities, taking the total count from the virus to 8,958, and the government has repeatedly pleaded with the public to obey lockdown rules during the long Easter holiday weekend. As Prime Minister Boris Johnson begins his recovery after a spell in intensive care, Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, warned he expects the number of deaths to increase for “a few weeks” yet.

Manufacturing the millions of vaccine doses necessary could take months. Gilbert said she’s in discussions with the British government about funding, and starting production before the final results are in, allowing the public to access the vaccine immediately if it proves to work. She said success by the autumn was “just about possible if everything goes perfectly.”

short article...no more at link


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Gilbert_(scientist)

Gilbert has been involved with the development of a new vaccination to protect against coronavirus since the beginning of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.[16][17][18] As with her earlier work, the COVID-19 vaccine makes use of an adenoviral vector, which stimulates an immune response against the coronavirus spike protein.[16][17] Plans were anncounced to start animal studies in March 2020, and recruitment began of 510 human participants for a phase I/II trial on 27 March.[19][20][21] She was reported to believe that a vaccine could be available by September 2020.[22]

[Bantamfancier]

1. Check back with us, Sarah.

When you’re 99.999% sure.

[iluvtennis]

4. We need some "feel good news". I'll take the 80%. Trials start in two weeks. nt

[Yonnie3]

6. "just about possible if everything goes perfectly."

In my experience everything rarely goes perfectly.

We will see ...

[Kingofalldems]

2. Trump will claim credit for it--guaranteed.

[marlakay]

3. Positive he is pushing for one before election

Everything I have read says if it is rushed it will mess it all up, but what hasn’t Trump messed up?

[live love laugh]

5. The world used to look to America now we look elsewhere for help. nt

[Laf.La.Dem.]

7. one of those socialized medicine countries

[Andy823]

8. I hope this works

All around the worlds great minds are working on this virus, and trying to stop the deaths, and come up with a vaccination that will work.

The biggest problem we have in the U.S.A. is we have "Dr. trump" pushing his snake oil remedies, that hav not been tested.

We were once the greatest country in the world, and now we have a leader who is responsible for thousands of deaths due to his idea the he and he alone knows what has to be done, when in reality he is just a narcissistic asshole who only cares about himself, and making money off of this pandemic any way he can.

[Jeebo]

10. Those are some smart people at Oxford University.

Bless their hearts if they're going to be our saviors.

-- Ron

[rzemanfl]

11. I will think kindly of them while I wash socks. n/t

[Shermann]

12. I hope this isn't like cancer

...with a new breakthrough drug or therapy being announced with much fanfare every week. For months. Then years.

CNN had a different Oxford professor on last night. Just a guy on a webcam talking like this is no big deal. Easy-peasy Japanesey.