Story at a glance
- The WHO director-general said multiple small trials with different methods may not give clear, strong evidence needed to determine which treatments help save lives.
- The solidarity trial will compare untested treatments from all across the world.
- More than 200,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 8,000 deaths.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has created a global trial to study treatments for the new coronavirus that has infected more than 200,000 people worldwide and left more than 8,000 others dead.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Wednesday during a news conference the establishment of an international “solidarity trial” to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
“Multiple small trials with different methods may not give us the clear, strong evidence we need about which treatments help to save lives,” Tedros said. “WHO and its partners are organizing a study in many countries in which some of these untested treatments are compared with each other.”
Tedros said the large international study is designed to generate the robust data needed to determine the most effective treatments against the coronavirus.
Countries that have confirmed they will join the trial include Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. The U.S. was not named.
The health official also shared that the first vaccine trial started just 60 days after the genetic sequence of the virus was shared by China, calling it an “incredible achievement.”
Tedros emphasized the importance of social distancing, testing suspect coronavirus cases and keeping sick patients isolated. He warned against assuming any area or person is immune to the coronavirus and urged the public to prepare for the worst case scenario.
“This virus is presenting us with an unprecedented threat,” he said. “But it’s also an unprecedented opportunity to come together as one against a common enemy — an enemy against humanity.”
changing america copyright.
