Victoria’s $6m injection to fast-track coronavirus diagnosis and treatment
Melbourne-based researchers working on a coronavirus vaccine will expand their work following a $6m grant from the Victorian government.
Melbourne-based researchers working on a coronavirus vaccine will expand their work into developing new diagnostic tests and potential treatments for the deadly illness, following a $6m grant from the Victorian state government.
The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Burnet Institute welcomed the funding support announced on Tuesday, which comes after China’s richest man, Jack Ma, pledged $3.2m to accelerate development of a coronavirus vaccine.
While an Australian-made vaccine remains in the early stages of development and would require rigorous testing before being available for public use, Doherty Institute director Sharon Lewin said the state’s funding would “go a long way” towards assisting Australia to “build capacity to prevent, detect and control this new virus”.
The extra funding comprises $4m for a consortium led by the Doherty and Burnet institutes to develop point-of-care testing, potential therapeutics and public health initiatives aimed at reducing the spread of the illness. A further $2m will go to the Victorian Infectious Diseases References Laboratory at the Doherty Institute to boost the state’s capacity to rapidly diagnose those who have been infected.
“The Doherty Institute’s allocation will allow us to build on what we’ve already been able to achieve … being the first laboratory outside of China to grow and share the virus, and to now work with other laboratories to increase Victoria’s capacity to rapidly diagnose infected people,” Professor Lewin said.
“We will also develop better diagnostic tests to understand who is exposed and can clear the virus without symptoms.
“Through this new consortium, we will work with collaborators across Victoria to evaluate and discover novel antiviral drugs that reduce virus replication. Finally, we will fund clinical trials of new antiviral drugs and use mathematical modelling to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the community and our healthcare sector, which will directly inform health system planning.”
The coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world in the past few months, infecting more than 87,000 people and killing almost 3000 so far.
In Australia, 33 cases have been recorded, including nine in Victoria. A man who flew into Avalon Airport southwest of Melbourne on Tuesday is being tested for coronavirus and could become the state’s 10th coronavirus case
Unveiling its public health response on Tuesday, the Victorian government said although COVID-19 had not yet been declared a pandemic, “there is a high probability (it) will spread”.
“While we are doing what we can to contain COVID-19, we are also preparing to take more targeted action if, as expected, the virus starts impacting more Victorians,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
“We are working closely with the commonwealth and our response is being guided by the very best expect advice.”
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said hospitals and emergency services had existing pandemic arrangements in place “which are ready to be activated if they are required”.
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