The deadly pandemic continues to sweep across the world and has, to date, claimed the lives of more than 700,000 people worldwide. Scientists are scrambling to find a vaccine for the virus with several teams across the globe working on finding a cure.
But now, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US, has warned the chances of a 100 percent effective vaccine are not great.
He told a Brown University webinar: “We don’t know yet what the efficacy might be.
“We don’t know if it will be 50 percent or 60 percent. I’d like it not be 75 percent or more.”
He also warned it may prove near impossible to develop a vaccine as high as 98 percent if the public health approach is abandoned.
In the US, the death toll has surpassed 160,000 with several states having to go back into lockdown as cases soar.
The UK currently has the highest death toll in Europe and new measures have now been enforced to stop the spread of the virus.
Face coverings have now become mandatory in more indoor settings across England and Scotland.
People visiting museums, places of worships and aquariums must all wear face masks.
Masks must also be worn in cinemas, funeral homes, banks and beauty salons.
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7.45am update: Preston City Council deploys ‘Don’t Kill Granny’ message
The chief executive of Preston City Council, Adrian Phillips, has announced new measures to try and pe rsuade younger people to follow crucial rules to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Mr Phillips told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I know our director of public health has said ‘don’t kill granny’ to young people to try and focus the message.
“Young people are inevitably among the brave and the bold, they want to be adventurous and out and about but we know that they have the virus, are more likely to at the moment, they often have less symptoms but they do take it back to their household and the community spread we are seeing we believe in many cases are young people taking it home and catching the virus.
“We’re going to have to repeat it and whether Radio 4 is the correct channel for that I’m not quite sure but we’re using multiple channels and we’re working with community groups who are doing peer to peer comms around.
“It’s just trying so many different ways to get the message to all communities, to all areas of our city that the virus is still something to be really wary of.”
