Progress Report

It is encouraging to review all the efforts at finding tests, treatments, and vaccines for COVID-19.
Here are two links, with helpful charts, outlining the therapeutic agents, tests, and vaccine candidates which are in the works:  this one from  Visual Capitalist, and another from Biorender.com.
Listed are 41 diagnostic tests, 23 therapeutic agents, and 41 vaccine candidates.

The Biorender article is helpful in laying out what the phases of clinical trials mean:

In preclinical studies, researchers test the efficacy, toxicity, and other chemical information.
In phase I testing, a new therapeutic is given to healthy volunteers to assess its safety.
Once the therapeutic has been deemed safe in healthy individuals, Phase II trials can commence. This is the first test where a drug/vaccine is administered to its target population and is done primarily to determine if the drug will be efficacious at its therapeutic dose.
In Phase III clinical trials, the drug is now assumed to have some positive effect on its target population and more individuals are enrolled. Generally, between 300 - 3,000 individuals are taking part, and more rare, short-term side effects are able to be observed.
The purpose of Phase IV clinical trials (also known as postmarketing surveillance) is to watch for the long-term effects of the drugs on a larger population. The therapeutic at this point can be prescribed to any individual in the target population by their physician.


Among the therapeutic agents being tested are antivirals, such as Remdesivir, anti-inflammatories, and anti-pneumonia and respiratory drugs.

You may have read that the vaccine produced by Moderna, Inc. has reached the stage of early human trials. From an article on the ABC News site:  "An experimental vaccine against the coronavirus showed encouraging results in very early testing, triggering hoped-for immune responses in eight healthy, middle-aged volunteers, its maker announced Monday. Study volunteers given either a low or medium dose of the vaccine by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna Inc. had antibodies similar to those seen in people who have recovered from COVID-19."


It has been emphasized that nothing is going to be the "magic bullet", that if one effective vaccine is found, work should continue on any of the others which are promising. Because one size doesn't fit all. For instance, a vaccine which uses an attenuated or killed virus isn't going to be appropriate for someone who is immune-compromised.  Fortunately there are several modes of operation among the vaccine candidates.
We shouldn't think of any of this research as being "wasted effort".  We can think back to the space race, and all the scientific progress which resulted from the research, even if it didn't have a direct bearing on space travel.   We are sure to see fruits from the massive outpouring of efforts in medical science to conquer COVID-19, even beyond that which is applicable to this particular virus.