Kopi Time E13: Prof Wang Linfa on Covid-19, origins, spread, test, treatment, vaccine developmen

Talk about a masterclass. We talk to the man who discovered the bat-to-man link of the SARS virus back in 2003 and is currently deeply involved in getting to the bottom of the ongoing pandemic. Professor Wang Linfa, Director of the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School, walks us through numerous questions about the coronavirus wreaking lives and livelihood worldwide. What’s the difference between SARS-COV-2 and Covid-19? Where did it originate, and could it be man-made? Why is it so infectious? Are asymptomatic carriers infectious? How good are the tests, and what’s the pipeline for rapid-tests? What about anti-bodies and convalescent plasma therapy? What’s the latest on anti-viral developments? What about the holy grail of vaccine development? You will not find a more informed set of answers!