COVID-19 brings research into other medical conditions to a grinding halt

Therapies Michael has been doing to maintain the movement he has now, like physical and occupational therapy, have been canceled, so his parents Georgia and Terry are doing what they can for him themselves.
Evan Mitsui/CBC

Date Published: April 23, 2020

Source: CBC

As researchers and scientists around the world race to better understand SARS-CoV-2, to develop and test treatments for COVID-19, and to develop and test vaccines, their attention has been drawn away from research in thousands of clinical trials for several other conditions that have since been placed on hold. Dr. Brad Wouters, the Executive VP of Science and Research at Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN), gives an example of a patient who was being treated for pancreatic cancer who no longer has access to an experimental immunotherapy as it could only be delivered through a clinical trial. This is compounded by many researchers having lost money that was initially funded through industry – UHN and other centres across Canada are asking the federal government to make up for this shortfall. Nevertheless, as the pandemic evolves, families and individuals impacted by this are on the search for solutions as many potential cures have now been delayed.

Read the full article here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/medical-research-pirovolakis-covid-19-1.5541894

Summary by: Vincent Tang