Duterte thinks coronavirus treatment may be ready five months from now

By Prince Golez

President Rodrigo Duterte expressed confidence that a vaccine to prevent the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will be available by December.

“I am confident that by our readings of other countries who have much improved their scientific study, I think that by December mayroon na hong vaccine or at least if not a vaccine, a medicine that could kill the Covid-19,” Duterte said in a televised public address early Wednesday.

He likewise voiced out his preference for the country to use medicine to kill the disease and get a vaccine “later on.”

Last May, Duterte said that China is working on a vaccine that may be available September this year.

“Ang target nila is September. I think China will be able to distribute if I’m not mistaken and the other countries are catching up… I’m very sure that they will be the first one, one of the countries that would be able come up with the vaccine,” he had said.

Malacañang earlier announced that the Department of Science and Technology was set to start a study on convalescent plasma as possible cure for Covid-19.

The treatment uses plasma taken from the blood of patients who have recovered from the infection and injects them into into a person fighting the virus.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)