Tunisia-Chokri Hammouda:Over 100 research worldwide underway to develop vaccine against new coronavirus

Director-General of Basic Health Care at the Health Ministry Chokri Hamouda said, citing the World Health Organisation (WHO) that over a 100 research are underway on COVID-19, of them 10 are in the process of developing a vaccine against the virus.

Radio-Canada announced, last Friday, that a team of researchers in Toronto has isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent responsible for the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.

This helps develop better diagnosis, treatment and vaccine tests and a better understanding of the biological evolution of the virus so as to contain it, he pointed out.

Speaking to TAP, Hammouda said that “halting the spread of the pandemic will take months as it goes through several phases, namely laboratory tests on cells, then tests on animals and finally tests on human beings” considering “the possibility to find a vaccine late this year”.

The Director-General of Basic Health Care said the best approach to contain the coronavirus is by sticking to hygiene rules and changing daily behaviours while avoiding public spaces.

Tunisia, on Friday, reported its 16th confirmed case of COVID-19, of them 8 were imported while the 8 others were infected through local contraction.

This is one of the most dangerous pandemics that the world has witnessed so far. It has affected over 132,000 people in 123 countries since its outbreak in Wuhan, mainland China.

Countries across the world have closed their borders, imposed strict entry regulations, implemented quarantine measures and limited large public gatherings in a bid to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.