A group of researchers in China's Tianjin University claim to have developed an oral vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Chinese state newspaper Global Times reported, citing a statement
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th February, 2020) A group of researchers in China's Tianjin University claim to have developed an oral vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Chinese state newspaper Global Times reported, citing a statement.
Lead researcher Professor Huang Jinhai is said to have taken four doses without experiencing any side-effects, the newspaper reported Tuesday.
The statement explained that the vaccine acts by boosting immunity in nasal and oral mucus and can be produced on a large scale, as the base ingredient is saccharomyces cerevisiae (common yeast).
"The vaccine has a very high level of security, is convenient to use and can be quickly produced on a large scale," Huang was quoted as saying in the statement.
The professor also claimed that the medication could potentially be used as treatment for people already infected with the coronavirus.
Huang's team is now looking for partners to carry out clinical trials and speed up verification in order to broaden the vaccine's usage, Global Times reported.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan first, then across China and subsequently the world, kicked off a race in the medical community to develop a vaccine.
Currently, two trials are underway for antiviral drugs on infected patients in Wuhan. One treatment combines two drugs used to treat HIV, lopinavir and ritonavir, and one antiviral drug called Remdesivir, according to the World Health Organization.
As of Tuesday, China's health authorities have reported over 80,000 total infection cases worldwide and a death toll of 2,699. They have also said that nearly 40 percent of all infected patients (27,671) have fully recovered.
