The COVID-19 pandemic has spread with alarming speed, infecting over 22.4 million and bringing the death toll to over 788,000. The U.S. is the hardest-hit country in the global pandemeic, both in caseload and deaths, recorded more than 5.5million infections and over 173,204 deaths since the pandemic began. As the U.S., Brazil and India become the top three countries worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 23, 2020 / As the number grows, the pandemic and related containment measures have also deeply affected the world economy. Governments across the world are spending unprecedented amounts in response to the coronavirus crisis - but in doing so, they're only making up a fraction of the damage the novel coronavirus is doing to the world economy. Needless to say, there is a tremendous interest in the development of a vaccine.
For Vaccine, medical researchers are working around the clock.
Normally vaccine development takes years, even decades. But medical teams around the world are working furiously to shrink it in 12 to 18 months. As soon as Chinese scientists published genetic details of the novel coronavirus in early Jan this year - providing a target for finding a cure, the world is racing.
（With zero new case reported, people in Wuhan are still wearing mask and keeping social distance in their daily life.）
At Oxford University, Sarah Gilbert, vaccinology professor and her lab had huge progress on developing vaccines against Covid-19 virus. Their ChAdOx1 vaccine generated antibodies for Covid-19.
Canada's National Research Council (NRC) has partnered with Chinese company CanSino Biologics to develop and test a promising Covid-19 vaccine. This vaccine candidate, Ad5-nCov, was developed using technology from both China and Canada.
Germany's BioNTech has announced a partnership with Pfizer, and another $135m partnership with Fosun Pharma of China to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. CureVac, a German-based vaccine developer also working on an mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine.
Moderna, the Boston-based biotech released a potential coronavirus vaccine after a trial showed antibody response in 45 participants.
Researchers worldwide are working aggressively to find a cure for COVID. Some are falling at it, but a few may have succeeded in stimulating the immune system to produce effective antibodies against the virus.
The WHO urged countries now that are striking bilateral deals for vaccines not to abandon multilateral efforts, since vaccinating pockets will still leave the world vulnerable.