Coronavirus: China stepping up efforts to develop vaccine, says Dubai envoy

Li Xuhang, China’s consul general in Dubai, expects clinical trials to get under way next month

Liu Yujia, center, receives a bouquet of flowers from Dr. Hussein Al Rand, an under-secretary at the Ministry of Health, after she tested negative for the Coronavirus, as Consul General Li Xuhang of China looks on, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. The state-run WAM news agency announced Sunday night that 73-year-old Chinese national Liu Yujia, one of the people infected with the new coronavirus in the Arabian Peninsula nation, “has recovered.” (WAM via AP)
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China will begin clinical trials for a potential vaccine to combat coronavirus next month, the country's envoy in Dubai said.

Li Xuhang, China’s consul general in the emirate, said scientists in his homeland are "devoting every effort" to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The virus — which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December — has since spread to more than 70 countries and infected roughly 93,000 people, resulting in more than 3,200 deaths.

Mr Li said scientific research compiled in China would soon be released to aid the fight against the disease.

“Chinese scientists are devoting every effort to develop reagents with shorter testing time, more accurate results and easier operation,” he said.

“Currently, a total of nine nucleic acid detection reagents and two antibody detection reagents have been approved for marketing. This will enable us to better achieve early detection, early quarantine, and early treatment and curb the spread of the epidemic.”

Once a virus is identified, the reagent is a substance used in a chemical analysis for testing.

“With the hard work of Chinese scientists day and night, the inactivated vaccine for Covid-19 is expected to start clinical trials as soon as April,” Mr Li said.

His announcement comes days after China’s president Xi Jinping said a series of national clinical research centres would be set up to help contain the outbreak.

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The consul general said the shutdown of cities and provinces had helped to limit the outbreak across the country.

“Enterprises have stopped production, schools have been suspended, people have cancelled travel plans due to traffic control, and families separated from each other,” Mr Li said.

"The shutdown helped reduce the incidence of infection by 80 per cent and “effectively blocked the transmission chain.”

Strict punitive measures ensured compliance with quarantine rules.

He said more than 10 senior officials from multiple departments in Beijing and Wuhan were punished when a patient with a confirmed case of the coronavirus travelled to the capital from the epicentre of the epidemic.

The number of deaths globally has risen to nearly 3,200 with cases of coronavirus diagnosis crossing 93,000.

The World Health Organisation in a media briefing on Tuesday said there were almost nine times more Covid-19 cases reported outside of China than in the country with the epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan being WHO’s greatest concern.

Comprehensive prevention and control measures were cited by Mr Li for reducing the number of daily cases reported to 100 people this month in Hubei province where the epidemic was the most severe.

He called on people to join together to combat the disease instead of snubbing countries and ostracising patients.

“No matter where the virus originates, it is the common enemy of mankind,” he said.

“We should be united in fighting the epidemic rather than groundlessly accuse each other and feel panic.

He said the practice of “stigmatising the Chinese people to vent their fear of the virus and dissatisfaction with China is extremely unreasonable and does not hold true.”

Nationwide measures from the lockdown of Wuhan to the building of speciality hospitals Huoshenshan and Leishenshan Infectious Disease Hospitals with a capacity of 2,600 beds within two weeks played a key role in controlling the epidemic, he said.

Reiterating his country’s gratitude to the UAE for its support and assistance, Mr Li said, “We are very grateful for this and will never forget it.”

The country was also willing to share its experience and had provided prevention, control supplies, testing reagents to Iran, Japan, South Korea among other nations.