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As we attempt to find a vaccine for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, Germany and the UK are making positive steps forward. According to a report from the New York Post, a potential vaccine has been approved for human trial.
“The Paul-Ehrlich-Institute … has authorized the first clinical trial of a vaccine against COVID-19 in Germany,” PEI, the federal Institute for vaccines, said in a statement.
The PEI is seeking 200 participants between the ages of 18 and 55 for the trial.
From the report:
Tests of the vaccine candidate — named BNT162 — also are planned in the US, once regulatory approval for testing on humans are secured in the country, according to Reuters.
The trials will include “200 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 years” who will be vaccinated with variants of the RNA vaccine. A second phase could include volunteers from high-risk groups.
The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 42,900 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
