A man wears a protective mask while waiting for a bus in Detroit, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. As of mid April 2020, it's not yet clear how often people can spread the COVID-19 coronavirus without showing symptoms. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
As the number of cases of coronavirus is rising exponentially, the UK will begin human trials of a coronavirus vaccine on Thursday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the government's strategy for fighting the virus has succeeded. While addressing a press conference, Hancock said: "In the long run, the best way to defeat coronavirus is through a vaccine."
"The UK is at the front of the global effort. We have put more money than any other country into a global search for a vaccine and for all the efforts around the world, two of the leading vaccine developments are taking place here at home."
According to media reports, the trial will be of a drug developed at Oxford University. The Health Secretary said that the government would 20 million pounds ($25 million) to support the research.
Meanwhile, another 20.5 million pounds will go to a separate project at London's Imperial College.
In the coming weeks, the first human trial in Australia for a COVID-19 vaccine is set to begin. Two clinics in Melbourne and Brisbane will test the vaccine on more than 100 healthy volunteers between the age of 18 and 52.
Researchers will closely monitor the level of viability over the next couple of months.
The global deaths due to the deadly novel coronavirus have reached to 1,77,608 on early Wednesday. This brings the total number of cases across the globe to 2,556, 512. According to John Hopkins University, the US has recorded more than 8,00,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 44,845 deaths so far. Nearly 40,000 new cases reported between Monday 8:30 pm local time, and Tuesday at the same time.
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