Coronavirus: Improved Treatments and Prevention Could End Pandemic Sooner than People Think

When the announcement came on October 2 that President Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, his supporters — and more than a few critics — prayed for his speedy recovery. At the age of 74 and with at least one significant comorbidity, Trump was at high risk of a severe and potentially fatal bout of COVID-19.

Little did he or anyone else know, his timing could not have been better. Just three days earlier, a company called Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced that clinical trials of its futuristic new treatment had succeeded in reducing both infection and the time it takes for alleviation of symptoms. The results did not come as a complete surprise: Regeneron’s treatment is among the few entirely new medicines to meet the stringent requirements of Operation Warp Speed, the administration’s “Manhattan project” for COVID-19, and had already received major federal funding.

About the Author

Mario Loyola

Mario Loyola is a professor of environment at Florida International University and a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

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When the announcement came on October 2 that President Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, his supporters — and more than a few critics — prayed for his speedy recovery. At the age of 74 and with at least one significant comorbidity, Trump was at high risk of a severe and potentially fatal bout of COVID-19.

Little did he or anyone else know, his timing could not have been better. Just three days earlier, a company called Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced that clinical trials of its futuristic new treatment had succeeded in reducing both infection and the time it takes for alleviation of symptoms. The results did not come as a complete surprise: Regeneron’s treatment is among the few entirely new medicines to meet the stringent requirements of Operation Warp Speed, the administration’s “Manhattan project” for COVID-19, and had already received major federal funding.