Thursday on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) sounded off on the coronavirus and the United States’ efforts to combat the virus.
Roe, a physician, told host Maria Bartiromo that a coronavirus vaccine is still a year away, but said antibodies and compassionates can be used “much sooner.”
[T]he vaccine studies and trials got to trials in light speed, less than 42 days, but it will take probably — and I just left a briefing with Dr. Fauci for this interview — probably will be a year before we have that,” Roe explained. “Therapeutics may be a little different. I think trials are going right now. Gilead Pharmaceutical is a company in China that has an anti-viral that’s being studied and it’s being used as a compassionate use here for severely ill patients. The other thing are antibodies. People build up antibodies, and if you can replicate those, certainly we can use that much sooner than a vaccine.”
Roe noted that the coronavirus is mostly affecting older people and those with poor health already more so than younger, healthier people. But he stressed the need for more testing on the ground in the United States.
“I’m a practicing doctor. If I weren’t here I’d be in my office today seeing patients,” he added. “What the doctors on the ground need are testing. That’s one of the things we’ve fallen short on, is that we need clinical testing at the site.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent