ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

COVID‑19 drug development

Okay kiddo, so you know how there's a germ called Covid-19 that has been making a lot of people sick? Well, scientists and doctors are working really hard to find a medicine, called a drug, that can help people get better and stop the germ from spreading.

First, they need to understand more about how the Covid-19 germ works and what it does to the body. They do lots of experiments in labs to figure this out. Once they have a good idea, they try to make a drug that can fight against the virus and stop it from making people sick.

But making a drug takes a lot of time and testing. Scientists need to make sure the drug is safe and works well. They do this by testing it on animals first, like mice or monkeys, to make sure it doesn't hurt the animals and that it helps them fight off the virus.

If the drug looks like it's working well and is safe for animals, then they start testing it on people. This is called a clinical trial, where scientists give the drug to people who have Covid-19 and see if it helps them get better. They carefully watch and monitor the people to make sure the drug isn't hurting them and that it's working like they hoped.

This can take a long time, sometimes even years, because they need to test the drug on a lot of people to be sure it's safe and effective. But once they have a drug that works well and is safe, they can start giving it to more and more people who have Covid-19 to help them get better and eventually stop the spread of the virus.

So that's what Covid-19 drug development is all about—scientists and doctors working hard to find a medicine to help people fight off the Covid-19 germ and stay healthy. It's important to remember that this takes time and patience, but it's all worth it to help keep people safe and healthy!