| Popis: |
Global researchers and medical experts work tirelessly to develop vaccines and drugs against COVID-19. However, it takes at least a few months, if not longer, to receive final regulatory approvals for vaccines and drugs, and the world, facing the threat of a second wave, has no choice but to implement a mandatory global quarantine, which would result in the most devastating socioeconomic disaster the world has ever seen. COVID-19 infection and mortality rates differ significantly across countries, which may be due to variations in healthcare infrastructure, testing facilities, international travel, environmental factors, and cultural norms. According to data from observational studies, epidemiological studies, and recent randomized controlled trials, existing live-attenuated vaccines such as BCG, measles, chickenpox, and OPV have immune-modulating nonspecific effects that can influence host defense against diseases caused by unrelated pathogens, resulting in lower morbidity and mortality. As a result, drug/existing vaccine repurposing is currently crucial in accelerating advanced clinical trials and reducing the time it takes to obtain regulatory approval. In this chapter we discuss how repurposing strategies have helped to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the limitations of repurposing drugs, and the current status of COVID-19 vaccines, and the limitations of these vaccines due to evolving genome of coronavirus strain. |
