In his opening remarks during a Senate coronavirus hearing Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, briefly described research being done on treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19.
While patients treated with Remdesivir recovered 31% faster, Fauci emphasized that the result was “statistically significant, but really modest.” The hope is to build on that modest success through a combination of drugs, he said during a meeting of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is considering how and when to reopen the U.S. economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
Researchers are also working on eight possible vaccines in an accelerated process that could lead to potential results by late fall or early winter. But Fauci also cautioned that vaccines being tested could make the virus worse.
“There’s also the possibility of negative consequences, with certain vaccines can actually enhance the negative effect of the infection,” he said, adding that that’s only one of the potential problems.
