Trump administration moves to advance coronavirus treatment, possible vaccine - reports

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the 2020 Council for National Policy meeting in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

 

(Reuters) - The Trump administration plans emergency approval of a new coronavirus therapeutic treatment and is considering fast-tracking a vaccine developed in Britain, according to media reports on Sunday, the day before the start of the Republican National Convention.

 

President Donald Trump later on Sunday will announce the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19, a treatment that already has been given to more than 70,000 patients, the Washington Post reported (https://wapo.st/2FR4Azi), citing officials familiar with the decision.

 

The action will be highlighted at a news conference scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT), the newspaper said.

 

A White House spokesman declined to comment on the Post story. But White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted early on Sunday that Trump's news conference would cover "a major therapeutic breakthrough on the China Virus".

 

Trump also tweeted: "Important White House News Conference at 5:30 (sharp) today. Very good news!"

 

The White House also declined comment on a separate report in the Financial Times that the administration is considering fast-tracking an experimental COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca Plc <AZN.L> and Oxford University for use in the United States ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.

 

One option being explored would involve the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarding “emergency use authorization” in October to the potential vaccine, which was developed by Oxford and licensed to AstraZeneca, the FT reported (https://www.ft.com/content/b053f55b-2a8b-436c-8154-0e93dcdb3c1a), citing people briefed on the plan.

 

Trump is looking to boost his lagging poll numbers during the Republican convention this week, and progress in treatments or an effective vaccine to gain control of the virus would aid his re-election chances.

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday said the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus had risen by 1,006 to 175,651. It reported 5,643,812 cases, an increase of 45,265 cases from its previous count.

 

AstraZeneca denied having discussed an emergency use authorization for its potential vaccine with the U.S. government.

 

"AstraZeneca has not discussed emergency use authorization with the U.S. government and it would be premature to speculate on that possibility," a spokeswoman for AstraZeneca said in a statement.

 

The company said that the late-stage Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials for its vaccine candidate are still ongoing in Britain and other markets globally and that it did not anticipate efficacy results until later this year.

 

There are no approved vaccines for COVID-19, but AstraZeneca's shot, called AZD1222, is widely seen as one of the leading candidates.

 

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington and Shubham Kalia and Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; writing by David Lawder in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-24

 

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39 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump is looking to boost his lagging poll numbers during the Republican convention this week, and progress in treatments or an effective vaccine to gain control of the virus would aid his re-election chances.

Or, you know, get treatments out there and approved as well as get in front of vaccinations. 

 

But im sure the usual suspects will find a way to dump on this. 

23 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

Or, you know, get treatments out there and approved as well as get in front of vaccinations. 

 

But im sure the usual suspects will find a way to dump on this. 

Well any real/proven positive progress on a vaccine will be very good news.

 

But I wonder why many folks will say he's more interested in something/anything that will improve his re-election ratings rather than any real interest in a vaccine and the health / reducing the unbelievable infection and death rates of Americans?

 

Further, it would be interesting to hear some comment on this development from Dr Fauci.

 

13 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Further, it would be interesting to hear some comment on this development from Dr Fauci.

 

 

Who cares? If you're one of the very statistically unlucky ones who is not doing very well, you should have the option to try any available treatments. Not that difficult of a decision. 

Like people on their deathbed are going to decline possible treatments because Trump made it possible. 

12 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Who cares? If you're one of the very statistically unlucky ones who is not doing very well, you should have the option to try any available treatments. Not that difficult of a decision. 

Like people on their deathbed are going to decline possible treatments because Trump made it possible. 

Actually, it already was possible.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927716

1 minute ago, rcummings said:

Actually, it already was possible.

 

Says it right in the OP too bud, never said it wasn't. What this did do however was make it more widely available to more people. 

 

 

9 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Who cares? If you're one of the very statistically unlucky ones who is not doing very well, you should have the option to try any available treatments. Not that difficult of a decision. 

Like people on their deathbed are going to decline possible treatments because Trump made it possible. 

It imo would be advisable to let the scientists do the talking hopefully this avenue isent a bust like the last few foolish ideas hes had and FYI the death toll from covid is over twice the marine dead in ww2 in the pacific theater plus twice the army dead in ww2 pacific theater plus the 26 thousand dead lost by the 8th Air Force in the European theater plus’s 12,000 more quite a statistic and don’t forget we in the USA are leading in deaths and infections under this administration 

1 minute ago, Tug said:

It imo would be advisable to let the scientists do the talking hopefully this avenue isent a bust like the last few foolish ideas hes had and FYI the death toll from covid is over twice the marine dead in ww2 in the pacific theater plus twice the army dead in ww2 pacific theater plus the 26 thousand dead lost by the 8th Air Force in the European theater plus’s 12,000 more quite a statistic and don’t forget we in the USA are leading in deaths and infections under this administration 

 

Same as in 2017-2018 flu season which nobody cared about nor made such absurd analogies with, and thats WITH a vaccine. 60-80k dead in the USA and hundreds of thousands globally - nobody batted an eye. 

 

All of the potentially beneficial treatments should be available to people who are not looking like they are gonna make it and let the patient decide if they want to try it or not. It isnt all that difficult. 

25 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Who cares? If you're one of the very statistically unlucky ones who is not doing very well, you should have the option to try any available treatments. Not that difficult of a decision. 

Like people on their deathbed are going to decline possible treatments because Trump made it possible. 

That's not what I said and you know it.

11 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Says it right in the OP too bud, never said it wasn't. What this did do however was make it more widely available to more people. 

 

 

Really? So you posted this for no reason related to the latest FDA move?

"If you're one of the very statistically unlucky ones who is not doing very well, you should have the option to try any available treatments." 

 

2 minutes ago, scorecard said:

That's not what I said and you know it.

 

Resistance to these decisions is exactly what the problem is. These meds should be available to people with little to no options up to and including the others that have been talked about since this all started. 

 

You dont agree, then thats exactly what you're saying. 

11 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Same as in 2017-2018 flu season which nobody cared about nor made such absurd analogies with, and thats WITH a vaccine. 60-80k dead in the USA and hundreds of thousands globally - nobody batted an eye. 

 

All of the potentially beneficial treatments should be available to people who are not looking like they are gonna make it and let the patient decide if they want to try it or not. It isnt all that difficult. 

Don’t worry this flu season will be horrific on top of the toll from covid how will you defend the indefensible then?

3 minutes ago, Tug said:

Don’t worry this flu season will be horrific on top of the toll from covid how will you defend the indefensible then?

 

Merely pointing out the absurdity of those analogies you guys love to make. Deaths are perfectly acceptable part of life in just about every sector unless its from covid, then its a horrendous catastrophe laid at the feet of the politicians you dont like. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump administration moves to advance coronavirus treatment, possible vaccine

Let's correct that: Trump administration moves to advance Trump - that's all he cares about.

And if he can create some news which sounds like good news than he will do that - independent of the reality.

And does anybody really think Trump cares how many more will die? Think again!

Just now, OneMoreFarang said:

And does anybody really think Trump cares how many more will die? Think again!

 

If he wanted more people to die, or didn't care how many people die, then he wouldn't be doing all this, and investing billions into vaccinations. 

 

You guys have a rather spectacularly negative view on just about everything. 

1 minute ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

If he wanted more people to die, or didn't care how many people die, then he wouldn't be doing all this, and investing billions into vaccinations. 

 

You guys have a rather spectacularly negative view on just about everything. 

If he did care how many people died, then why did he minimize the seriousness of the threat for so long?

2 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Merely pointing out the absurdity of those analogies you guys love to make. Deaths are perfectly acceptable part of life in just about every sector unless its from covid, then its a horrendous catastrophe laid at the feet of the politicians you dont like. 

The point is at least 2/3rds were preventable with competent leadership.anytime over 170,000 of my countrymen die mainly due to incompetence and laziness is cause for deep anger and concern it is what it is

4 minutes ago, rcummings said:

If he did care how many people died, then why did he minimize the seriousness of the threat for so long?

And why can’t he bring himsielf to require folks to wear masks when out and about he’s earned this mistrust with interest 

Edited August 24, 20205 yr by Tug

2 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

4 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And does anybody really think Trump cares how many more will die? Think again!

 

If he wanted more people to die, or didn't care how many people die, then he wouldn't be doing all this, and investing billions into vaccinations. 

 

You guys have a rather spectacularly negative view on just about everything. 

Imagine Trump could spend 100 billion USD tax money on

a) To make sure he gets reelected and/or stays in power

b) To save the lives of thousands of American citizens

c) To make sure the elections will be democratic and fair 

What would be his first priority? And what would be his last? No more questions.

3 minutes ago, rcummings said:

If he did care how many people died, then why did he minimize the seriousness of the threat for so long?

 

He wasn't the only one minimizing the threat for so long, bud. 

1 minute ago, Mama Noodle said:

He wasn't the only one minimizing the threat for so long, bud. 

He is the president. The leader of the USA.

He had all the information. He did not only ignore it he downplayed it for weeks and months.

Do you want to compare what he did with some nobody how didn't care?

<deleted>, he is the president and it's his job to care!

3 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

He wasn't the only one minimizing the threat for so long, bud. 

I ain't your "bud".

And I agree lots of his followers and fellow denialists were doing likewise. But he kept on denying, long after the consensus of the epidemiological community had shifted.

6 minutes ago, Tug said:

The point is at least 2/3rds were preventable with competent leadership.anytime over 170,000 of my countrymen die mainly due to incompetence and laziness is cause for deep anger and concern it is what it is

 

Thats because the same person you've been hating on for years is at the helm. We could shut the country down completely and use the guard to blockade the streets and might get covid under control but wed also cause untold misfortune in doing so. 

 

You dont know how it would have played out if another politician was at the helm and assuming you did is laughable. 

44 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Same as in 2017-2018 flu season which nobody cared about nor made such absurd analogies with, and thats WITH a vaccine. 60-80k dead in the USA and hundreds of thousands globally - nobody batted an eye. 

 

All of the potentially beneficial treatments should be available to people who are not looking like they are gonna make it and let the patient decide if they want to try it or not. It isnt all that difficult. 

“All of the potentially beneficial treatments”

 

Until fully tested all these ‘treatments’ are also potentially harmful.

 

That’s why rigorous testing is a requirement. 

 

But it’s also extremely expensive and ‘Big Pharma’ would love to bypass the cost, so

let’s get some desperately ill people to be guinea pigs.

 

Putting aside the ethical questions there is a reason why drugs and vaccines are trialed on ‘healthy’ subjects, but like the ‘ethical’ questions they require a broader view than can be found in blindly following the ‘leader’.

Edited August 24, 20205 yr by Chomper Higgot

3 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Thats because the same person you've been hating on for years is at the helm. We could shut the country down completely and use the guard to blockade the streets and might get covid under control but wed also cause untold misfortune in doing so. 

 

You dont know how it would have played out if another politician was at the helm and assuming you did is laughable. 

You mean because all those politicians whom Trump supporters accuse of toeing the establishment line, somehow would have defied said establishment in this case? It is to laugh.

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

“All of the potentially beneficial treatments”

 

Until fully tested all these ‘treatments’ are also potentially harmful.

 

That’s why rigorous testing is a requirement. 

 

But it’s also extremely expensive and ‘Big Pharma’ would love to bypass the cost, so

let’s get some desperately I’ll people to be guinea pigs.

 

Putting aside the ethical questions there is a reason why drugs and vaccines are trialed on ‘healthy’ subjects, but like the ‘ethical’ questions they require a broader view than can be found in blindly following the ‘leader’.

 

If Im dying, and there's a possible treatment thats unproven and untested, imma take the treatment and most people would do the same. 

Although im sure there's a significant portion of people who would rather die than take something that Trump played a role in making available - of that there is little doubt. 

2 minutes ago, rcummings said:

You mean because all those politicians whom Trump supporters accuse of toeing the establishment line, somehow would have defied said establishment in this case? It is to laugh.

 

Joe Biden said just the other day he would shut the country down if the scientists said so. Thats absolute madness. 

Thank you President Trump!

 

Operation Warp Speed!

Edited August 24, 20205 yr by Kelsall

5 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

If Im dying, and there's a possible treatment thats unproven and untested, imma take the treatment and most people would do the same. 

Although im sure there's a significant portion of people who would rather die than take something that Trump played a role in making available - of that there is little doubt. 

Like the people who listened to Trump and ingested bleach.

 

5 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

Joe Biden said just the other day he would shut the country down if the scientists said so. Thats absolute madness. 

180,000 dead Americans because the President refused to listen to the science is ‘absolute madness’.

 

Oh and the number is still climbing.