News Coronavirus update

Treatment

Drug trials under way

We’ll soon know if covid-19 can be treated with drugs developed
for HIV and Ebola, reports Alice Klein
THE results of two clinical trials any positive signal,” she added. The press conference followed infected and understanding the
testing whether HIV and Ebola In addition, four vaccines are a global research forum held in behaviour of the virus.
drugs are effective at treating the being developed to try to prevent Geneva on 11 and 12 February At the moment, covid-19 testing
symptoms of covid-19, the disease people getting the disease in the that brought together scientists, involves analysing specimens in a
caused by the new coronavirus, first place, Soumya Swaminathan public health agencies and health lab using specialised equipment.
will be known soon, says the World of the WHO told the press ministries from around the world It would be easier if there was a
Health Organization (WHO). And conference. “It’s likely that there to discuss the research that needs fast, simple test that could be
on 16 February, an antiviral called will be one or two that will go into to be done to tackle the covid-19 done on the spot in community
favilavir was approved by China’s human trials in about three to outbreak. Researchers from settings, Swaminathan said.
National Medical Products four months from now,” she said. Wuhan, where the outbreak Dominic Dwyer at the
Administration for use in treating “However, it would take at least began, attended via video link University of Sydney, Australia,
the disease, according to a report 12 to 18 months for a vaccine to due to travel restrictions. agrees that the development of
in China Daily. become available for wider use.” The forum identified the most these “point of care” tests should
Marie-Paule Kieny of the WHO urgent research areas: working be a priority. “The quicker you can
told a press conference in Geneva, Various drugs are being on treatments for people who are make a diagnosis, the quicker you
Switzerland, on 12 February that trialled in China to treat already sick, finding easier ways can do something about it, like
doctors in China have given a covid-19 to test people to see if they are isolating the patient,” he says.
combination of two HIV drugs – “If a cruise ship had an outbreak
lopinavir and ritonavir – to “quite of coronavirus, for example, being
a number” of people with covid-19. able to come on board straight
The results of the trial will be away with a point-of-care device
known within “a few days or a few would be very useful.”
weeks”, she said. We also need to find out more
Doctors in China will also start about where the new coronavirus
testing remdesivir, a drug first came from, how it jumped to
developed to treat the Ebola virus, humans, which people it affects
CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/SHUTTERSTOCK

in people with covid-19 very soon, most and why, and whether
Kieny said. The drug was tested quarantine methods and travel
without much success with bans are effective at containing
Ebola, but may be more effective it, Swaminathan told the press
against covid-19, she said. “But conference. “I think we have a
we will have to wait for a few lot to learn from studying all
weeks to know whether this gives these,” she said. ❚

Analysis Temperature

Will heat kill the coronavirus? We don’t of people think that goes away in
April as the heat comes in.”
example, are less transmissible.
It is thought the virus – known
know if changing seasons will help stem Trump isn’t the only politician as 2019-nCoV – can survive for
the outbreak, says Michael Le Page to make this sort of claim. The UK’s up to four days on surfaces. Some
health secretary, Matt Hancock, researchers, including Paul Hunter
recently told ITV reporter Tom at the University of East Anglia,
WILL the covid-19 outbreak of Oxford. “I keep asking virologist Clarke that the hope was to slow the UK, do think the new coronavirus
caused by the new coronavirus colleagues this and nobody knows. spread of the virus so any epidemic won’t survive for as long in
fade as winter in the northern So when you hear people say reaches the UK in spring and warmer conditions.
hemisphere comes to an end? the weather will warm up and it will summer when coronaviruses, of “One extreme scenario is that it
This has been suggested by some just disappear, it’s a very unhelpful which the new virus is just a specific will burn itself out sometime in the
researchers and repeated by some generalisation.” summer,” says Hunter. “The other
political leaders, including US This is essentially what Trump “One scenario is that it will extreme scenario is that it will
president Donald Trump. said on 10 February. “The heat, burn itself out in summer, reduce in the summer but it will
“We absolutely don’t know that,” generally speaking, kills this kind another that it will reduce come back again in the winter
says Trudie Lang at the University of virus,” he told a meeting. “A lot but then return in winter” and become what we call endemic,

6 | New Scientist | 22 February 2020