The Chairman, Imo state Task Force on COVID-19, Professor Maurice Iwu, has assured that his team would soon develop vaccine for the treatment of coronavirus.
He said that if the result from testing of the vaccine already carried out was anything to go by, the treatment for coronavirus will be made available soon.
While briefing newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday, Iwu disclosed that there was a positive sign that succour is on the way for COVID-19 patients.
He said, “The work on the drug we are developing is still going on. We are encouraged by the result we are getting. We are getting very positive signs.
“Luckily, the drug is a safe one. It is drug already in use. We are repurposing it for this particular purpose. So, when we finished the studying and testing we are doing, I think the drug will come up in line very, very soon.”
He added, “if the pandemic escalates, the NAFDAC will know what to do, like they did in USA to fast track the use of chloroquine.
“If we have a need NAFDAC will know what to do. Right now, the product is in human use; what we are doing is to repurpose it for this particular event.”
Prof. Iwu said the state government is doing everything humanly possible to prevent the virus from getting into Imo state, stressing that, “We have a vertical integration with the Federal Government whereby our ministry of health is working assiduously with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). We have equipment centre that is ready and we have configured isolation centres.”
