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A “silver bullet” treatment for coronavirus may never come, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.
Director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said preventing virus outbreaks “comes down to the basics” of public health and disease control.
Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, he said: “We learn every day about this virus and I’m pleased that the world has made progress in identifying treatments that can help people with the most serious forms of Covid-19 recover.”
He continued: “A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection.
“However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be.
“For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control.
“Testing, isolating and treating patients, and tracing and quarantining their contacts. Do it all.”
The news comes as David Nabarro, one of the WHO’s special envoys on Covid-19, described a rapid test that can detect coronavirus within minutes as a “life-changer”.
A test that delivers results in minutes is essential in order to live with the virus, Mr Nabarro said, and the test may be available before the end of the year.
The current tests being used in the UK are PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, and while most people get their results within 24 hours, it can take up to 72 hours.
Mr Nabarro said lockdown is a “crude” way of dealing with the spread and more sophisticated measures are needed.
“The best way to deal with this virus is to identify people with the disease really quickly, and to isolate them, to find their contacts and isolate them, so interrupting transmission,” he said.
“And then breaking the chain of transfer from person to person, and then to break the clusters that build up, and to suppress outbreaks.
One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus
1/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
2/19
Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
3/19
Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
4/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
5/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
6/19
Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
7/19
A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
8/19
Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute’s silence to honour UK key workers
AFP via Getty Images
9/19
A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street,
Reuters
10/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
11/19
Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
12/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
13/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
14/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
15/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
16/19
Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
17/19
National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, during a minute’s silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
18/19
Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
19/19
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
1/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
2/19
Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
3/19
Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
4/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
5/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
6/19
Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
7/19
A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
8/19
Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute’s silence to honour UK key workers
AFP via Getty Images
9/19
A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street,
Reuters
10/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
11/19
Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
12/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
13/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
14/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
15/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
16/19
Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
17/19
National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, during a minute’s silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
18/19
Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
19/19
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
“Now the only way you can do that is by knowing where the virus is. And the only way to know where the virus is, is to have a very rapid point-of-contact test that is reliable.”
He added: “A rapid test that is reliable, that can be used anywhere, is the absolute requirement now – it’s more important than just about anything else.”
The health expert said the test might be available in the next three months.
“Something like this might be available by Christmas,” he said.
“I’m trying super hard not to get into that kind of prediction, but it’s not an unreasonable proposition providing that the necessary funding is available.”