Yesterday we told you about the high hopes for Remdesivir, which is being fast-tracked as the first drug approved to treat COVID-19. But now there’s word of a vaccine potentially being available as early as next January.
In an appearance on NBC's Today Show, Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked whether he thought it was "in the realm of possibility" to have a potential vaccine ready for wide distribution by January. He replied "It is."
Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that the ideal plan for a potential vaccine is to ensure it is safe and effective — and can be rapidly scaled up for distribution.
Where does the United States stand with COVID-19? At last check, there are more than 1-million cases across the United States – with 63-thousand patients succumbing to the illness – though more than 153-thousand have recovered. Globally, the numbers remains at just over 3.2-million people infected by the virus – with more than 233-thousand dead. On the plus side, more than one-million have recovered.
But remember... “three-million cases” doesn’t mean “three-million” people dying or even in the hospital. According to the CDC, the hospitalization rate remains at 4.6 per 100-thousand. The highest rates being in persons 50-64 years (7.4 per 100,000) and 65 years and older (13.8 per 100,000).
ONE MORE THING! Americans say their governors are handling the pandemic better than President Trump. Americans in general gave their governors approval ratings in the 70s, whereas President Trump received only 44% of support in the survey done by three universities. Harvard, Rutgers and Northeastern researchers found most Americans support strict measures meant to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Still, 18% say the country should reopen entirely.
Source: NBC's "Today"