In the United States, Moderna Inc is the first biotech company to have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to proceed to phase 3 of clinical trials. This led to analysts speculating about the likelihood of a coronavirus vaccine arriving before the year ends. However, leading experts disagreed with favourable outlook as ongoing recruitments show discouraging numbers. Meanwhile, the British government and the National Health Service report an overwhelming number of volunteers have signed up for the upcoming trials.

For the United Kingdom, AstraZeneca -- with the help of The University of Oxford -- have also developed a promising SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, which is also on the third phase of trials. Government officials hope to encourage more people to participate especially those who are from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) background. Furthermore, folks who are over the age of 65 are likewise welcome to register, the Independent reports.

Vaccine task force chair Kate Bingham views the published numbers as a good sign. "We need many more people from many different backgrounds that we can call on for future studies if we are to find a vaccine quickly to protect those who need it against coronavirus," she stated. Approximately 100,000 individuals volunteered in the span of four weeks, which the majority of people view as impressive considering the risks involved

Professor Chris Whitty, the UK government's chief medical adviser, claims it "shows the selflessness of the public." He then added: "It is important that we have people from different backgrounds and ages as volunteers, so that the vaccines that are developed work for everyone." International medical researchers are under a lot of pressure to discover a viable treatment for COVID-19 and a vaccine for the 2019 novel coronavirus.

Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus forced the Apollo and all other London theatres to close their doors and the financial hit has put some in danger Photo: AFP / Tolga Akmen

Meanwhile, after an audit was conducted by health authorities, it was reported that information provided by non-medical personnel and nurses via over-the-phone services could put patients at risk. Moreover, it seems officials have talked about the future of Public Health England (PHE) as well as an intention to dissolve the agency. As such, given that the pandemic remains uncontrolled, most reportedly find the decision "foolhardy in the extreme." To date, there over 21 million recorded cases of COVID-19 across the globe.

COVID-19 NHS