모더나•화이자, 3상 돌입… 트럼프, 백신 조기 출시 가속화<br /><br />Deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. have now surpassed one-hundred-fifty thousand from a total of four-point-four million total cases.<br />Eager to stem the flow of infections, two U.S. pharmaceutical companies have announced that they are in the final stages of clinical trials for a possible COVID-19 vaccine.<br />Kim Cheong-ah reports.<br />According Worldometer's latest figures as of Monday local time, the U.S. has reported more than four-point-four million cases of COVID-19 and more than one-hundred-fifty-thousand deaths.<br />And, with the number of deaths per day surpassing the one-thousand-mark, concerns mount as to whether the country can keep the virus under control.<br />By state, California has the highest number of infections, followed by Florida, New York and Texas.<br />However, Moderna, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, on Monday announced their final-stage testing of a vaccine.<br />On the same day, another company, Pfizer, also said it is finalizing its own vaccine study.<br />Trials conducted by both companies will include a total of 60-thousand volunteers.<br />In the case of Moderna, volunteers will be given either a real dose of the vaccine or a dummy without being told which. Experts will then track which group experiences more infections.<br />U.S. top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, offered cautious optimism but said answers won't come until mid-to-late fall.<br />Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump lauded the county's efforts to deliver three-hundred-million doses of a vaccine by January next year.<br />"We will achieve a victory over the virus by unleashing America's scientific genius, which is what it is. Under Operation Warp Speed, we've shaved years off of the time that it takes to develop a vaccine, in some cases many years."<br />Meanwhile, Trump's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, has tested positive for COVID-19, making him the highest-ranking U.S. official to contract the virus.<br />O'Brien is said to have mild symptoms and has been self-isolating and, according to the White House, there is no risk of exposure to the president or vice president.<br />KIM Cheong-ah, Arirang News.<br />
