In these uncertain times, the depressing news can get to all of us. I actually believe we have to find a balance in all of it. Of course it is important to stay informed, but also find solace and peace in other things as well. It is good however to see that higher education is playing a role in helping to find the cure to this virus.
https://www.unionrecorder.com/news/university-of-pittsburgh-covid-19-vaccine-successful-in-trials/article_7b46e9a9-8e9c-5e6e-8148-6b137983a47a.html
According to this article, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine announced last week that they had successful trials with a potential coronavirus vaccine when used on mice. The paper was published in a leading British medical journal called The Lancet. The leaders of the project are currently waiting on approval from the FDA on human clinical trials.
I want to stress that although these events are certainly good news, advancements will still take time. Normally, the process to develop a vaccine would take around two years, but as we all know we do not live in “normal” times. So while they will be able to expedite the process a bit, at minimum it will still take months.
However, this article is a good reminder on the impact that higher education can have on society. We have great research universities in the United States, and there is no doubt that they will be a source for trying to figure out how we can solve this crisis. Here’s to hoping they can find solutions sooner rather than later.