Health security

 

Incredible new drug might work even better than a coronavirus vaccine

The novel coronavirus pandemic is the worst infectious disease the world has seen since the Spanish flu pandemic. Like the Spanish flu, COVID-19 will eventually lose its pandemic status, but the virus won’t just disappear once enough people are immune. Public health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci believe that SARS-CoV-2 will become endemic, just like the flu. Severe COVID-19 infections and prolonged outbreaks will be prevented with vaccines and other drugs, and we’re already seeing the first results. Once that happens, the virus’s death toll will drop significantly. But the flu still kills thousands of people every year and the same might be true with SARS-CoV-2 in its post-pandemic years. On top of that, there are plenty of other viruses going around, and the next virus with pandemic potential might be just around the corner. Hopefully, the world will be more prepared for a future coronavirus-like pathogen than it was this year.

Our first line of defense against future pathogens could start with a breakthrough drug capable of killing only viruses and the human cells they infect. This could lead to faster recovery and minimal side effects. Researchers have already devised such a drug that would work against the flu, and the same technology might be employed to create custom meds that target the viruses that cause COVID-19, HIV, and other viral infections.