OTTAWA — Researchers in the race against time to provide a proven treatment for COVID-19 will have to balance scientific rigour against speed, according to global experts.
Clinical trials for possible treatments and cures have begun around the world, including an unprecedented international study by the World Health Organization.
But the scientific gold standard to test the efficacy of new, unproven treatments isn’t always practical with new cases of COVID-19 spreading around the world.
Earl Brown, a professor emeritus of virology at the University of Ottawa, says even in a pandemic, studies still need to meet all the usual scientific checks and balances. “They’re likely to push it as far as they can,” Brown said. “But you can’t use people