The Street Reporters Newspaper has gathered that China is advancing in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, after military scientists tested the country’s first candidate on 108 healthy people in Wuhan, the epicenter of the Coronavirus disease outbreak.

Media reports indicate that the volunteers were divided into three groups of 36, their ages ranging from 18 to 60, and are now under medical observation for 14 days.

After that period, experts will follow them for six months to identify possible adverse reactions.

It is a recombinant vaccine developed by a People’s Liberation Army medical team led by the country’s leading biowar expert, Chen Wei, and was applied to the individuals after receiving government approval last Monday for human trials.

China gave the green light to the process 19 hours after the United States announced that it would administer mRNA-1273, its own anti-COVID-19 injection candidate, to a group of citizens.

The Chinese drug was obtained on the basis of the process followed to create the Ebola drug and, according to the creators, it complies with national laws, international standards and will soon be on the market if it is successful.

According to the local press, unlike other clinical trials, the volunteers did not need to be infected with the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and the researchers will seek to determine if the substance produces antibodies and makes them immune to the respiratory condition.

Analysts agree that completing the process will take at least a year before the official launch of the product.

Additional reports from Plenglish