Throughout the ongoing history of
the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, one of the voices that have urged
caution in present and future policy and regulation by the government the
address the crisis has belonged to the OCTA Research Group. Even when the COVID
situation seems to be looking optimistic in terms of lesser new cases or
quarantine relaxation, OCTA has become famous somewhat for taking a contrarian
position, warning of upright trends and “super spreader” events. Now, while the
governments national and local plus private business await the arrival of the
COVID vaccines they have purchased, a fellow from the OCTA Research team
announced a possible alternative medical means.
For people who have always been
queasy about vaccinations, particularly those who are afraid of being stuck
with needles, OCTA Research molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco revealed
that he is working on a COVID vaccine that could be administered orally. As CNN Philippines tells it, Austriaco has
been studying a vaccine development method involving yeast to creative a less
expensive choice for people looking for protection from COVID infection. In a
statement this Sunday, February 7, Austriaco told of engineering human
probiotic yeast to express fragments of SARS-COVID 2 virus.
“Our hope is that we will be able
to take this yeast and we will be able to use the yeast to be able to stimulate
the immune response, the protective response of the body, for Filipinos and
other third world developing countries," says Austriaco, adding that he
will be in the US to commence experimentation for several weeks to test the
feasibility of engineering an oral COVID vaccine from yeast. If successful, he
plans to return to the Philippines to petition the government for permission to
conduct clinical trials.
Fr. Austriaco, an associate of
the OCTA Research group, also commented on the current status of the country in
terms of its response to the COVID pandemic. He notes that the sooner vaccines
arrive and the faster Filipinos receive them, the more significant the changes
in new cases, recoveries and deaths will be recorded. He cites as an example
Israel, which saw changes in case statistics after about 25% of their
population got COVID vaccines. At present, only the Pfizer and AstraZeneca
vaccines have received emergency use approval, while tests are still coming for
the Janssen, Clover and Sinovac vaccines.
Image from Outbreak News Today
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