[ad_1]
A key government adviser on the coronavirus said trials for a vaccine against the disease could be completed in mid-August.
Human testing of a possible vaccine will begin within the next week at the University of Oxford.
When asked about the possibility of autumn producing a vaccine, Professor Sir John Bell, a member of the Government Vaccine Task Force and Life Sciences Advisor, told the BBC Radio 4 Today program: “The real question is whether it will be effective.
“It will protect people, and that has not been proven and will only be proven once you have vaccinated a significant number of people and exposed them to the virus and counted how many people have contracted the virus in that population.
“So we won’t even get a sign of that until May.
“But if things are going on and are effective then I think it is reasonable to think that they could complete their test in mid-August.”
Sir John said of the candidate vaccine being tested at Oxford: “If we can see evidence of a strong immune response in mid to late May, then I think the game is on.
“Then, of course, there is the big problem of how billions of doses are manufactured on a large scale.”
The comments came amid fears that some hospitals might run out of certain types of personal protective equipment (PPE) this weekend.
Chris Hopson, president of NHS Providers, said some trusts will run out of supplies on Saturday or Sunday because “we have reached the point where the national stock of fully fluid repellent robes and coveralls is depleted.”
A British Medical Association (BMA) survey of more than 6,000 doctors across the country said a significant number of them remain without the protection they need to protect themselves against Covid-19.
It echoed another survey of 14,000 medical personnel conducted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) that found that half of nurses have felt pressure to work without the proper protective equipment during the crisis.
Fears about the shortage come after new guidance, meaning doctors and nurses in England could be asked to work without full-length gowns and to reuse items when treating patients with coronavirus sparked a backlash from groups representing frontline NHS personnel.
(PA Graphics) Public Health England (PHE) reversed its guidance on Friday night, which stipulated that long-sleeved disposable liquid repellent gowns be worn when treating patients with Covid-19.
If gowns are not available, clinicians are encouraged to wear “disposable, non-fluid repellent gowns or coveralls” or “washable surgical gowns” with aprons, and then wash their forearms.
At least 50 NHS workers have died after contracting coronavirus.
A Health Department spokesperson said: “A new clinical council has been issued today to make sure that if there is a shortage in an area, front-line staff know what PPE to use to minimize risk.”
But Professor Neil Mortensen, president-elect of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “We are deeply concerned about this latest change in the PPE’s orientation, which was issued without consulting expert medical bodies.”
He added: “The new guidance implies that even in the operating room, surgeons and their teams may not require proper PPE. This is simply unacceptable. “
He said that, like all doctors, surgeons are committed to their patients and “many will be put in the line of fire.”
“However, if there are no fluid-repellent gowns or coveralls, surgeons should not risk their health.”
That message echoed the Royal College of Nursing’s advice that nurses should refuse to treat patients “as a last resort” if they are not provided with the proper PPE.
Meanwhile, senior officials have accused ministers of underestimating the public by refusing to discuss exit strategies to end the coronavirus blockade.
Former Brexit secretary David Davis told the AP news agency: “There are many benefits to being open about this.
“The argument that was raised, that we do not want to confuse the message, I think it is wrong.
“He underestimates the public. The public understands that there are phases to this. “
[ad_2]
