World Insight with Tian Wei

The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge facing the global science community. Researchers are working around the clock on diagnoses, treatments and vaccines, not to mention a thorough investigation into the virus. What about Chinese scientists? How are they contributing to that effort? How far do they think are we from the light at the end of the tunnel? With these questions in mind, CGTN host Tian Wei visited the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute in Beijing which is at the forefront in this area. Ding Sheng is the dean of the institute. He describes the role that repurposing existing drugs has in providing a timely method to fight Covid-19. His colleague Bai Jingwei then introduces a portable nucleic acid diagnostic kit that could radically increase access to Covid-19 testing. Another colleague Tan Xu has been trying to use genetics to combat Covid-19. Tan has been studying bat genes for six years and hopes that they will unlock antiviral properties for humans. Finally, professors Zhang Yonghui and Xu Younong are racing against time to find a vaccine that can help eradicate the pandemic. Let's hear from scientists who are working on a breakthrough.

Aired: 06/26/2020