Results from Britain’s first tests for a coronavirus vaccine could be available in the next fortnight, scientists have indicated.
The news comes as Britain’s main vaccine project gathers pace after a group of monkeys displayed potential Covid-19 immunity following vaccine injections.
The important hurdle was cleared after researchers at Oxford University said their experimental vaccine had primed the rhesus macaque monkeys’ immune system to defeat the coronavirus. There were also no signs of adverse reaction.
Six monkeys were given the vaccine and then exposed to high levels of Covid-19. None of them contracted viral pneumonia contrasting with two out of three animals in the control test who did become ill.
The vaccinated animals demonstrated two different immune responses including high levels of neutralising antibodies, which can disable virus particles. The monkeys were also reported to have developed the immune system “T-cells” that kill cells which have been infiltrated by the coronavirus.
The positive news comes as effects from the first human trials – all on healthcare workers – are expected in June. The results from the project are said to be promising but no guarantees can yet be given that the vaccine will works on humans. Scientists not involved in the project have given it an 80 per cent chance success with a possible availability for the wider population in September.
The British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which has partnered with Oxford University team, said that if the vaccine is successful it could make 100 million doses the end of the year.
Some medical experts believe that it could take up to two years to find a workable vaccine despite the billions being poured into research.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
