China may run the second phase trial of coronavirus vaccine, which further evaluates the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine in human body, in Bangladesh.
The information was disclosed by Dr Abul Kalam Azad, the director general (DG) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), in a virtual conference with the members of Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum on Friday morning, reports BSS.
“The Chinese government may run the second phase human trial of a possible coronavirus vaccine in Bangladesh,” he said.
“Our country may also produce the vaccine following the result of the trial,” he added.
Dr Azad said: “Earlier, the virus could infect two persons from one person but the reproduction rate or R0 of the virus has reduced in our country; the R rate is now 1.05, which is a very good sign.”
A reproduction rate of less than 1 means that an outbreak is subsiding, since each infected person is transmitting the virus to less than one other person.
An R0 above 1 means the virus is spreading exponentially, with each contagious person infecting more than one other person.
An R0 of more than 1 is also an indication that hospitals and healthcare systems are vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed.
During the fast-spreading initial outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, the R0 was estimated at around 2.5, according to a World Health Organization analysis.
“Our main goal is now to reduce the number of infected patients and the death rate,” Dr Azad further said.
Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) former president Dr Rashid E Mahbub, Former DG of DGHS Prof Dr MA Faiz, Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (SWACHIP) President M Iqbal Arslan, and Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Advisor Mushtaq Hossain attended the virtual conference.
Source : Dhaka Tribune
