Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - COVID Vaccine could be available this September?!
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Old 04-30-2020, 08:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joanne19335 View Post
Remdesivir is an investigational drug that is being used on emergency patients only and is still in the trial stage. If approved, it will treat those who already have the coronavirus. A vaccine prevents people from getting the virus.

Remdesivir, if approved, will be used if you already have the virus. Think of it as a Tamiflu that is prescribed for people who get the flu. It shortens the length and intensity of the disease by approximately 4 days. My hope is that this antiviral will develop into a yearly treatment similar to the flu shot. We are a long way from a vaccine.
And vaccines for viruses are so tough to get right because of the constant mutation that happens as it propagates. Similarly to the flu shot, it's based on the previous year and very rarely fully effective for the new strain. That's why the fastest version may be better for the present virus.