• Question: What do you think about the new virus (COVID-19) that has been discovered and do you think we can come up with any vaccine for it?

    Asked by anon-249566 on 9 Mar 2020. This question was also asked by anon-249576, anon-249577, anon-249950, anon-249572, anon-249780, anon-249568, anon-250159.
    • Photo: Sophie Arthur

      Sophie Arthur answered on 9 Mar 2020:

      I’m not too worried about it here in the UK. We obviously need to take it seriously globally, but we don’t need to be panic buying toilet paper really.
      We have a vaccine for flu so we should definitely be able to make one for coronavirus as they are similar. There are researchers around the world already working on this. Some already have options that they are starting to test out

    • Photo: Ioana Grigoras

      Ioana Grigoras answered on 9 Mar 2020:

      I think it’s important to be aware of the guidelines and do our best to stay safe and keep others safe too. So wash your hands regularly with soap and water, don’t sneeze in your hands (use your elbow or a tissue), don’t touch your face and stay at home if you feel sick, so you don’t get other people sick. I’m sure scientists are researching the vaccine as we speak and they will come up with good news soon!

    • Photo: Sarah Clarke

      Sarah Clarke answered on 9 Mar 2020:

      I think it is still early days and we still have a lot to learn. But there are a lot of very clever people all over the world (including at the university where I work) who are working really hard to understand the virus and how it spreads, and to try and find treatments and vaccines for it. I think it is very possible that we will find a vaccine. However, once we think we have a vaccine, we need to test it to make sure that not only does it work, that it is safe to use. All of that takes time. So in the meantime it is really important to keep up to date with advice (for example wash you hands well and regularly, avoid touching your face, cover you mouth/nose when you sneeze/cough with a tissue) and to know when to call 111 or when to stay home.

    • Photo: Samir Hopestone

      Samir Hopestone answered on 10 Mar 2020:

      Personally I think we are quite safe in the UK, as we have quite a good health service. I think the best thing to do is follow the advice of the NHS and WHO. I think that we will be able to develop a vaccine, since we already have vaccines for flu which is similar.

    • Photo: Kate Mitchell

      Kate Mitchell answered on 12 Mar 2020:

      I think its amazing that scientists discovered the virus so soon after the first cases of the new disease were indentified.

      I’m hopeful that scientists can come up with a vaccine, but I’m not an expert on vaccines for viruses. Some viruses – like measles – it has been really easy to develop a good vaccine for, but other viruses, like HIV, it has been really difficult and we still don’t have one.

    • Photo: M S

      M S answered on 12 Mar 2020:

      I think we can. It will take time to know what the vaccine should contain

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