COVID-19 treatment could be ready as early as end of year: S. Korean gov't
- 4 years ago
"코로나19 치료제, 이르면 올해 말 출시…백신은 내년 생산"
The government says South Korea is developing COVID-19 treatments to be ready by the end of this year.
Clinical tests will also begin this year for a vaccine which could be ready for use some time next year.
Kim Jae-hee has the details.
South Korea is developing treatments for COVID-19 and they could be ready by the end of this year. It will also start clinical trials of vaccines sometime this year.
Hopefully following successful tests,... a vaccine may be developed by next year.
This is according to a pan-governmental group set up to assist the development of treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.
They held a second meeting on Friday.
The group consists of top officials from the health, science, finance, SMEs and food and drug safety ministries,... as well as the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and civilian experts.
An official from the group said that clinical trials are underway for 7 existing drugs to see if they can be used to treat COVID-19.
The official added that a positive outcome from some of the trials could lead to the development of a treatment "as early as the end of this year."
Three types of possible vaccines will also begin clinical tests before the end of this year, and hopefully, a vaccine will be available by the second half of next year.
To help speed up the process of developing a cure, the government has also revised regulations to allow the Red Cross to draw blood samples for research purposes.
Previously, only medical clinics had been allowed to draw samples.
Meanwhile,... the government is also pushing to make the country's COVID-19 response measures dubbed the "K-Quarantine model" a global standard in tackling epidemics.
A policy council composed of government officials and experts was launched on Friday.
The council will work to come up with a detailed roadmap for the "K-Quarantine model",... and propose it to the International Organization for Standardizations.
Kim Jae-hee, Arirang News.
The government says South Korea is developing COVID-19 treatments to be ready by the end of this year.
Clinical tests will also begin this year for a vaccine which could be ready for use some time next year.
Kim Jae-hee has the details.
South Korea is developing treatments for COVID-19 and they could be ready by the end of this year. It will also start clinical trials of vaccines sometime this year.
Hopefully following successful tests,... a vaccine may be developed by next year.
This is according to a pan-governmental group set up to assist the development of treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.
They held a second meeting on Friday.
The group consists of top officials from the health, science, finance, SMEs and food and drug safety ministries,... as well as the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and civilian experts.
An official from the group said that clinical trials are underway for 7 existing drugs to see if they can be used to treat COVID-19.
The official added that a positive outcome from some of the trials could lead to the development of a treatment "as early as the end of this year."
Three types of possible vaccines will also begin clinical tests before the end of this year, and hopefully, a vaccine will be available by the second half of next year.
To help speed up the process of developing a cure, the government has also revised regulations to allow the Red Cross to draw blood samples for research purposes.
Previously, only medical clinics had been allowed to draw samples.
Meanwhile,... the government is also pushing to make the country's COVID-19 response measures dubbed the "K-Quarantine model" a global standard in tackling epidemics.
A policy council composed of government officials and experts was launched on Friday.
The council will work to come up with a detailed roadmap for the "K-Quarantine model",... and propose it to the International Organization for Standardizations.
Kim Jae-hee, Arirang News.