It is a feverish hunt for ways to treat one of the deadliest infections the world has known since the 1918 Spanish flu. As millions more are infected by covid-19, researchers are scrambling to come up with a range of items to cope with the pandemic—from easy-to-use diagnostic kits and medicines to the holy grail of them all: a vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars) coronavirus-2, which causes the covid-19 disease.
Vaccines, however, are a long way off even though over a hundred pharma companies, research institutions, and global collaborations have been set up to find the magic bullet (see ‘Hope or hype?’ on p46) to halt the pandemic. The vaccine hunters may be attracting big money and headlines, but as much of the research attention is focussed on existing therapies to help patients—especially those who become critically ill—to fight the virus. These endeavors are as fascinating as they are varied, drawing in systems biologists, Big Pharma, universities, start-ups, and a host of others in an effort to stop sars-cov-2 from reaping a deadly harvest.
Since every virus is different, new drugs have to be developed to fight diseases. But this takes time—of several years—and requires humungous amounts of money. Covid-19 does not allow us that kind of luxury; it spreads extraordinarily fast and that is the danger that hangs over the world, although compared to other viruses such as Ebola and Zika it is not so deadly. So readily available drugs are under the scanner in laboratories across the world where researchers are narrowing their search to find medicines that work best against the virus. Repurposing is the new strategy.
Esta historia es de la edición May 01, 2020 de Down To Earth.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 01, 2020 de Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara