- Sam Bolen
Progress Towards a COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 has swept across the world like nothing we have experienced before. With no vaccine currently on the market, we are still confined to our homes and social distancing. Under normal circumstances, from preclinical trials to regulatory approval, a vaccine takes about 10 years before being distributed nationally. Doctors all over the world are combining their efforts and are trying to make a vaccine by 2021 ready for distribution. Among the hundreds of vaccines being produced, three companies are leading the way and are closest to releasing a vaccine to the public.
AstraZeneca is a British pharmaceutical company who are currently in first place in the vaccine race. Currently, they are in the beginning stages of their phase three human trials already showing very promising results. The most recent trial showed an immune response in healthy patients from ages 18-55 and they found the strongest results after two doses were administered to patients.
Moderna is next on the list for a potential vaccine. The American company has not begun its phase three testing but plans on including 30,000 people across 89 different locations across the US starting in September. Although phase three has not started, phase one trials provided very promising results with people tolerating the vaccine and all creating anti-bodies.
The last company close to starting its phase three trials is another American company, Pfizer. Partnering with German biotech company BioNTech and Chinese pharmaceutical company Fosun Pharma. Their most promising option, BNT162b2, has entered a combined phase two/three trial after phase one trials proved successful showing an immune response in volunteers.
With the introduction of a vaccine into the market, hospitals all over the country are going to be flooded with patients looking to get vaccinated. With traditional hospital communication, the massive influx of patients would halt the flow of the hospital to a standstill with nurses understaffed and not enough space to hold the new patients. With Hospi-Call’s patent-pending system, nurses will be able to prioritize their work and effectively provide the best quality care possible while dealing with the high demand caused by the pandemic. With customized apps and increased efficiency, Hospi-Call will help combat these issues and provide the necessary tools for the best care possible.
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