The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Britain's Michael Hughton and Americans Harvey Alter and Charles Rice for their efforts to discover the hepatitis C virus (C).

The Nobel Prize’s official website said this year it awards 3 scientists who have made a critical contribution to combating bloodborne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world.

Scientists made the basic discoveries that led to the identification of the hepatitis C virus, which made it possible to access new blood tests and drugs that saved millions of lives.

It is reported that the first Nobel Prize in the field of Physiology or Medicine was awarded in 1901.

Last year, Americans William Caillin and Greg Simmenza and Britain's Sir Peter Ratcliffe won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for discovering molecular mechanisms by which cells sense the oxygen content and adapt to its levels.

BREAKING NEWS:


The 2020 # NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded jointly to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice “for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus.”

pic.twitter.com/MDHPmbiFmS

- The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2020

In the shadow of Corona

Amidst the Corona pandemic, today, Monday, the announcement of the annual Nobel Prize winners in various fields, with the announcement of the Nobel Prize winner in the field of medicine.

The names of Nobel Prize winners in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature and peace will be announced this week as well, while the Nobel prize in economics will be announced next week.

Aside from economics, the other Nobel Prizes are awarded according to the will of the Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel (1896-1833), the inventor of dynamite.

Each prize this year is worth 10 million Swedish kronor (1.1 million dollars), up from 9 million Swedish kronor in previous years.

Prizes are usually awarded to the winners annually on the tenth of December, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.

Organizers said earlier that due to the pandemic, winners in the science, literature and peace categories are more likely to receive their prizes in their home countries instead of traveling to Stockholm to attend the award ceremony.

Learn more about the 2020 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine

Press release: https://t.co/eGxjMgrZTQ


Advanced information: https://t.co/60S9MjmLek pic.twitter.com/gN32y3HT3X

- The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2020

Facts about the Nobel Prize in Medicine

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded since 1901-110 times, and it has not been awarded in 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1921, 1925, 1940, 1941 and 1942, according to the official website of the award.

Why was it not granted in those years?

The Articles of Association of the Nobel Foundation state the following: “If none of the works under consideration is found to have the significance indicated in the first paragraph, the prize money will be withheld until the following year. Restricted to the institution. "

During the first and second world wars, fewer Nobel prizes were awarded, according to the award's official website.

The Nobel Prize for Medicine has been awarded to one winner only 39 times, two of the medicine prize winners have participated 33 times, and the Nobel Medicine Prize has 3 winners 38 times.

Why?

The statute of the Nobel Foundation states the following: The prize money may be divided equally between two works, each of which is considered to be deserving of the prize.

If the work being rewarded is produced by 2 or 3 people, then the award is given to them jointly.

Under no circumstances may the award amount be divided between more than 3 persons.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to 219 winners between 1901 and 2019, including 12 women.

The youngest Nobel Prize recipient in Physiology or Medicine is Frederick G. Banting, who was 32 when he was awarded the Medicine Prize in 1923.

The youngest Medicine Laureate is Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin.

He was just 32 years old when he was awarded the prize. # NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/9dAvoUBTZa

- The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 5, 2020

The oldest Nobel Prize winner in physiology or medicine to date is Peyton Rous, who was 87 when he was awarded the Medicine Prize in 1966.