COVID-19: Australian antiviral treatments clinical trials to end soon, vaccine still not in sight

As the world braces for the full impact of the SARS-COV-2, medical professionals are not about to give up just yet. There have been some promising developments when it comes to diagnosis. A British researcher reportedly created a testing method that uses infrared light. Meanwhile, another team from Spain are touting the use of lasers to detect coronavirus even in its earliest stages. This week, Australian scientists are reportedly about to end clinical trials of a series of possible treatments for those afflicted by COVID-19.

While there have been several drugs that were in the headline before due to their supposed effectiveness against the virus, there is not enough evidence to back up the claims. In fact, some individuals failed to consider the implications and self-medicated, and ended up in a bad situation. Hence, this is exactly why proper testing should be done before any medication is recommended for public use. Moreover, treatments should be supervised by a licensed professional in the first place.

According to a report published by the Independent, the Australian researchers might submit their findings soon. Meanwhile, work on a vaccine for COVID-19 will still continue and hopefully announce success in the next few months. In the short term, antiviral treatment could help patients recover earlier than letting the disease run its course. Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Melbourne director Sharon Lewin recently released a statement.

She detailed that "the timeline for antiviral drugs and knowing whether they work or not is much shorter than for vaccines." Lewin added "because these studies are using existing drugs, so we know their safety, we know how to use them. We just don't know if they lead to clinical benefit." The Australian government is funding the study to hopefully come up with promising results. This would then make it easier for authorities to approve treatments given the circumstances.

Meanwhile, public officials confirm that as of this writing, the country has recorded 6,322 cases with 61 deaths. Nevertheless, even though the trend seems promising, it would be unwise to suddenly ease restrictions. As agreed upon by the World Health Organization, prevention is the best countermeasure against COVID-19.