• Novovax, a company which was given $1.6 billion from OWS and $388 million from CEPI for its experimental coronavirus vaccine, reports encouraging results from two early studies, one in humans and the other in monkeys. The vaccine uses a protein from the coronavirus (spike) which is made in moth cells and an adjuvant to elicit immune responses, an approach that has worked for hepatitis B virus and shingles vaccines. In monkeys, a version of vaccine protected them from becoming infected with the coronavirus. In human trials, people who got the vaccine with the adjuvant produced more antibodies than people who had recovered from COVID-19, without serious side effects, but larger trials are needed to see if the vaccine confers immunity, and to explore combinations of vaccines that elicit T-cell and antibody responses in the future. Source
• In a pre-print article, researchers report finding proof that coronavirus is airborne, based on testing air in hospital rooms of people with COVID-19; they discovered viable virus in aerosols that may transmit the virus. Source
