How far is the new crown effect? Will everyone be vaccinated in the future? Bai Yansong in conversation with Zhou Qi, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
If it is said that the number of newly diagnosed cases of new coronary pneumonia in China has dropped from a high level to zero recently, then researchers have started from scratch. How is China's research progress on new crown virus, vaccine, and effective clinical drugs? Where are they now? In "News 1 + 1" on March 26, Bai Yansong contacted Zhou Qi, the deputy secretary general of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to answer questions that everyone was concerned about.
Q: How much do we know about viruses to this day?
Zhou Qi: The research on viruses can be described as "the first step of the Long March" . Facing the virus, where does it come from and where is it going to look like? So far, we only know a little bit, and there is still a long way to go.
Q: What is the significance of discovering and identifying the full sequence of the virus?
Zhou Qi: The discovery of the virus and identification of the full sequence on January 11 is the most fundamental breakthrough in the fight against epidemics. Without the full sequence, there is no way to research diagnostic reagents, and there is no way to do the work related to the development of vaccines, so the discovery and identification of the full sequence is the top priority of anti-epidemic work.
Q: How about the sensitivity and accuracy of the test reagents?
Zhou Qi: In this short time, the development of detection reagents and equipment has been very rapid. Based on the full sequence of the virus published in China in January, many different detection methods have been developed. The sensitivity and time of detection are constantly developing towards better and better. Now the State Drug Administration has announced several batches of test kits and related equipment, and some of the equipment is also being promoted and exported overseas, with a revolutionary update in detection methods. In the past few months, I have seen a big change in technology, and I have also seen scientific researchers working hard to have better detection methods.
Q: How far is the special effect medicine from us?
Zhou Qi: During the research and development of specific medicines, the current special medicines for coronavirus will change a lot each time. This time for the development of new coronary pneumonia, there is no real medicine for real sense at present . In the future research and development path, how to find a specific drug against this virus is the top priority. This is not a short process. The development of drugs, the so-called "10-year cycle, $ 1 billion", is a fact that everyone in the field recognizes, but today we are not facing a process of starting from scratch, because for many years The research on coronavirus has been going on for many years, and a lot of work should be successful in the near future.
Q: Will everyone get the new crown vaccine in the future?
Zhou Qi: We also have flu vaccines, and not everyone. We look forward to better treatments for this virus and better ways to prevent epidemics.
Q: Is it possible to end the epidemic only by making a vaccine?
Zhou Qi: In the anti-epidemic process, all means are necessary and should be stored. Vaccines are an important means but not the only means.