The race for a COVID-19 vaccine

Never in the history of the world since 1918 did we ever see a highly contagious virus like this. Some historians are even likening this pandemic to a World War, where the enemy is unseen yet deadly, with 210 countries and territories or even more now affected. 

The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic infected 500 million people (representing about a quarter of the global population then) with fatalities estimated at 50 million. The pandemic lasted for two-and-a-half years, with the impact so devastating. There was no flu vaccine and no medication then to treat the secondary infections that came with the disease.  

This COVID-19 is expected to be around for sometime until a vaccine or a cure is found. If only China had reported the new coronavirus outbreak early enough, things might have been different. Today, the actual number of infections and deaths is still relatively unknown with a number of countries still unable to detect infections or even report casualties. 

The United States has been severely affected by this pandemic with over 925,000 infected and about 60,000 deaths projected so far. The US is now on top of the race to find the vaccine and is undoubtedly one of the most advanced in the field of biotechnology. A number of molecular biologists and scientists have been working tirelessly to find the vaccine for COVID-19. 

Other developed countries like Japan, the UK, France and Germany are also racing to find a cure for COVID-19, with 70 potential vaccines currently under development. The number one ally of the United States, Israel – also recognized as a world leader in biotechnology – has made a lot of headway in discovering a cure for the coronavirus.  

The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted a Tel Aviv University professor a patent for technology that could develop a COVID-19 vaccine in a matter of months. By reconstructing the Receptor Binding Motif or RBM (called the “Achilles heel”) of SARS-CoV-2 or the new coronavirus, the body’s immune system can learn how to block the virus from target cells. While vaccines normally go through a long process to secure approval, the US FDA can authorize the use of an experimental drug in emergency situations like this COVID-19 pandemic. 

A coronavirus drug by Israel biotech company Pluristem Therapeutics is also being tested in the US, with promising results as seven patients experiencing respiratory and multi-organ failure survived after receiving the medication. Pluristem uses allogeneic placental expanded (PLX) cell therapy that can reverse the overactivation of the immune system which causes the body to attack its own organs – resulting in death among many critical coronavirus patients. PLX cells work by secreting therapeutic proteins that help the body regenerate and reduce inflammation. With the technology, a single placenta can treat over 20,000 people, the company said. 

In the Philippines, President Duterte has offered P50 million to any Filipino who could develop a vaccine against COVID-19. This is not farfetched, because we have a number of Filipino medical scientists that are also working on finding a cure. 

Having good international relations nowadays counts more than ever, with many countries collaborating today in finding a cure for COVID-19. Our alliances with developed countries such as the United States, Israel and many others are key because in the end, cooperation is critical in this warlike battle. 

The United States has allocated an additional $5.3 million (P269 million) in health and humanitarian assistance to help the Philippines fight the pandemic. The call of President Trump to President Duterte was important, with the two leaders committed to continue working together in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. 

Our relationship with Israel is now at its best most especially because during the Nazi regime in Germany, President Quezon welcomed Jews fleeing from the Holocaust to the Philippines when other nations closed their doors. The Jewish people are forever grateful for that gesture. I’m also very pleased to have developed good relations with the American-Jewish community in Washington, D.C. President Duterte’s state visit to Israel, the first and only Filipino president to do so, has made an impact in our relationship. We can count on Israel in many ways to help if and when they develop a cure for COVID-19.

While we try to minimize our casualties, imposing lockdowns is very difficult because of the big population especially in the metropolis where people live side by side, making it extremely difficult to impose social distancing. Senator Bong Go’s “Balik Probinsiya” proposal encouraging people to go back to their provinces is a good idea to help disperse the population in the very congested Metro Manila. As Bong Go pointed out, the congestion in Metro Manila will more likely spread the virus which is exactly what happened in Singapore on the second virus wave where immigrant workers lived in a dorm-like area.

Government financial assistance to people and businesses as an incentive to relocate to the provinces might even be what we need in the long term to bring progress to the countryside as more jobs will be created from micro, small or medium enterprises.  During times like this, we need to look for innovative and creative solutions.  

Let’s all pray that a vaccine will be developed sooner than later. We all know it’s the only final solution to this horrific plague. More than anything else, we should all do our best and be cooperative. When all is said and done, it will ultimately be our faith in God that will pull us through.

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