The stage that precedes clinical testing is conducted without testing on humans. An exploratory vaccine is initially used in animals to gauge its efficacy and ability to prevent illness. If the vaccine sparks a response from the immune system, then it can be investigated in human clinical trials; this typically takes place over three phases.

Phase #1 

During the first phase, a limited number of healthy young adults are given the vaccine to test for safety. Physicians will evaluate if an immune response is provoked and find the correct dosage to distribute.

Phase #2

During the second phase, the vaccine is administered to hundreds of volunteers over multiple clinical trials. The goal is to examine the effectiveness, efficacy, and capability to precipitate an immune response. People who participate in the second phase will represent the population intended to receive the vaccine.

Additionally, a placebo group that does not receive the vaccine is incorporated into this phase. The placebo group helps compare outcomes and understand the changes credited with receiving the vaccine.

Phase #3

During the third phase, the vaccine is dispensed to thousands of subjects across multiple countries. Results are compared to a group of volunteers that received a comparator product. This step decides if the vaccine is beneficial to resist the disease and the use of a broader group.

The Importance of “Blinding”

During the second and third phases of trials, all participants do not know who received the testing vaccine vs. the comparator product. This strategy is referred to as “blinding.” It is critical to guarantee that both the trial participants and the clinical experts are swayed in their evaluations. Once the trial is completed, all results are collected and distributed among everyone.

Consequently, the clinical trial data is reviewed through stringent regulatory and public health approvals. Ongoing observations continue to persist after the vaccine is launched. The consistent observations allow researchers to monitor a large sample over an extended time period and provide data for adjustments.

COVID-19 Vaccines

All vaccines are varied to provide protection, but the common denominator in all of them is a supply of T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes. These elements give our bodies the power to fight against a virus upon exposure.

COVID-19 vaccines enable the ability to create an immunity to the virus, without having to actually acquire the illness. This process usually takes several weeks.

Eradicating a global pandemic requires a large number of people to work together in the safest way possible. Additional protocols such as wearing face masks and staying at least 6 feet apart in social situations further help lower the risk of being exposed to the virus.

In our next Auxo Medical blog post, we will cover the Commonwealth of Virginia’s plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to its residents.

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Clinics and hospitals very quickly had to implement, or evolve, their telehealth services in order to see and care for their patients. This virtual tool became a critical component to COVID-19’s clinical response early on, and today still remains a necessary catalyst for delivering care.

The CEO of Center for Connected Medicine, concludes, “We went from almost no telehealth to probably 90% of our visits through telehealth. The increase is exponential and unbelievable. We have learned how to do it, and our patients really like it. If COVID-19 disappeared tomorrow, we would still continue telehealth as much as we could because it is such a patient satisfier.”

Additionally Chief Medical Information Officer at UPMC, Dr. Rob Bart, stated “Technology has been so essential to the COVID-19 response at UPMC and other health systems that the line now is blurred between traditional healthcare and digital health. Technology and digital applications that once were not used to their full potential are now a permanent part of providing the best possible care for our patients.”

As the intersection of virtual technology and healthcare collide, the Becker’s Healthcare Telehealth Virtual Forum recently hosted executives from across the country to discuss the possibilities of virtual health care.

Top Takeaways from the Virtual Forum 

1. Corporations that recently invested in telehealth equipment shared that they were equipped once the pandemic hit. Consequently, there are numerous organizations dealing with setbacks.
2. Although virtual healthcare has helped Americans throughout COVID-19, there are roadblocks for people who lack technological resources. Healthcare leaders must find solutions to satisfy these disparities.
3. Health systems need to ensure that digital tools and processes (e.g. apps) are simple to use and accessible.
4. Artificial intelligence can offer support for making decisions regarding treatment possibilities.
5. Consumer demand will dictate the telehealth business model post-pandemic. Patients will presume virtual options and will integrate those choices into their value-based care models. Providers that incorporate a fee-for-service model will be impacted by this modification.
6. Hospital organizations encouraged to adjust their telehealth training for providers and patients. Experts suggest producing interchangeable, informative chapters during this unprecedented global pandemic.

For more information on telehealth and how the medical field has been impacted by the novel coronavirus, be sure to visit our website.

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