 Scientists around the world are working on potential treatments

and vaccines for the new coronavirus disease known as COVID-19.

 Several companies are working on antiviral drugs, some of which
are already in use against other illnesses, to treat people who
already have COVID-19.
 Other companies are working on vaccines that could be used as a
preventive measure against the disease.
With confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide surpassing 9 million and
continuing to grow, scientists are pushing forward with efforts to develop
vaccines and treatments to slow the pandemic and lessen the disease’s
damage.

Some of the earliest treatments will likely be drugs that are already approved
for other conditions, or have been tested on other viruses.

“People are looking into whether existing antivirals might work or whether new
drugs could be developed to try to tackle the virus,” said Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, a
professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy.

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Also, visit our coronavirus hub for more information on how to prepare, advice

on prevention and treatment, and expert recommendations.

As of May 8, two medicationsTrusted Source had received emergency use

authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): the
antiviral remdesivir and a drug used to sedate people on a ventilator.

The FDA issued an EUA in March for the antimalaria drugs chloroquine and
hydroxychloroquine, but later revoked itTrusted Source after studies showed
that they’re unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19.
An EUA allows doctors to use these drugs to treat people with COVID-19
even before the medications have gone through the formal FDA approval
process.

These drugs are still being tested in clinical trials to see whether they’re
effective against COVID-19. This step is needed to make sure the
medications are safe for this particular use and what the proper dosage
should be.

It could be months before treatments are available that are known to work
against COVID-19. It could be even longer for a vaccine.

But there are still other tools we can use to reduce the damage done by the
new coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2.

“Even though technological advances allow us to do certain things more

quickly,” Lee told Healthline, “we still have to rely on social distancing, contact
tracing, self-isolation, and other measures.”