In The Works

Though doctors and scientists don't want to raise false hopes that there are any quick or easy weapons  on the immediate horizon against COVID-19, I think it is important for people to know that work is progressing in an all-out effort worldwide.

From this article in USA Today,  there are 41 possible vaccine candidates in the works.
"The first coronavirus vaccine trial began Monday in Seattle when four volunteers got a version of a vaccine against a disease that as of Thursday has killed 150 people in 22 states, with more than 10,000 cases nationwide." 
"...Still, no one will be lining up this summer for vaccinations. It will be at least a year to 18 months before any vaccine is ready for large-scale use, according to most estimates. Before being deployed, vaccines must go through multiple rounds of testing to make sure they are safe, effective and don’t have unintended consequences."
"Researchers are not starting from scratch. Work on two previous coronaviruses, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) provide a road map for how to create an immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the illness COVID-19."
Check out the article for information on which pharmeceutical companies are working on vaccines.

And this article from StatNews details vaccine research, and perhaps what is more important in the short term, drugs for treatment of those who contract the coronavirus:

"Gilead’s remdesivir is being studied in five clinical trials around the world. In China, Gilead is recruiting about 1,000 patients diagnosed with the coronavirus to determine whether multiple doses of remdesivir can reverse the infection. The primary goals are reducing fever and helping patients get out of the hospital within two weeks."
"...Chinese drug maker Ascletis Pharma is testing a combination of antivirals, one approved for HIV and one approved for hepatitis C, that might treat coronavirus infection. Last month, the company enrolled 11 patients with coronavirus-caused pneumonia and administered a cocktail of danoprevir and ritonavir. All 11 were eventually discharged, according to Ascletis."
"...Eli Lilly has partnered with a Canadian firm called AbCellera to develop antibody treatments for coronavirus infection. Using a blood sample from a coronavirus survivor, AbCellera identified more than 500 antibodies that might protect against the virus. Now it’s working with Lilly to identify which are most potent. The two companies aim to have a treatment ready for human trials within the next four months."
"...Japanese pharma giant Takeda is at work on a treatment derived from the blood of people who have already been infected by the coronavirus."

And here is news about an  Israeli vaccine which was in the news previously.  Unfortunately unrealistic hopes about the timeline when it might be available were raised.  However it is still a promising therapy, but subject to the same time constraints that affect other vaccine candidates. It is unique in that it is the only oral vaccine in the lineup.  This would greatly facilitate administration to large numbers of people.

I recall Alan Greenspan coining the term "irrational exuberance" about a totally different subject, financial markets. And we want to avoid irrational exuberance in discussing possible vaccines and therapies. I think that has been successfully avoided. But a glimmer of hope based on real research and clinical trials isn't irrational, it is something we badly need