UN experts meet to fast-track drugs, vaccines for new virus

World Health Organization convened a group of experts Tuesday to fast-track promising tests, drugs and vaccines to help slow outbreak of a new virus that emerged in China and has spre to two dozen or countries. new coronavirus was only identified late last year in Chinese city of Wuhan and re are licensed drugs or vaccines. Diagstic tests have been developed by several laboratories, but re are rapid tests available.

To date, virus has infected more than 42,000 people and killed 1,007, with 99% of cases found in China. Two dozen or countries have reported 393 cases of virus, with one death in Philippines.

At least 60 million people in central China are in a government-ordered lockdown aimed at halting spre of virus and health authorities around world are racing to track down contacts of infected people.

In Japan, more than 3,700 people remain quarantined aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, after dozens of passengers tested positive for virus.

“It's hard to believe that just two months ago, this virus — which has come to captivate attention of media, financial markets and political leers — was completely unkwn to us,” said WHO's director-general Tedros ham Ghebreyesus.

U.N. health ncy said re were still many critical but unanswered questions about virus, including what animals it came from, how exactly it is spre between people and how best to treat infected patients.“To defeat this outbreak, we need answers to all those questions and more,” Tedros said. two-day meeting will end Wednesday.Experts say it could still be months or even years before any approved treatments or vaccines are developed.

(Im Credit: AP)