ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

COVID‑19 drug repurposing research

Okay, so you know how there is a big bad virus called Covid-19 that has been making a lot of people sick? Well, scientists all over the world are trying to figure out how to stop it or cure it. One way they are doing that is by something called "drug repurposing research".

Now, you know how sometimes you have a toy that you use for one thing, like a soccer ball, but then you figure out you can also use it for something else, like bouncing it off a wall? That's kind of like what drug repurposing research is. Scientists are trying to find out if there are already existing medicines or drugs that people use for other things, that might also be able to help stop the Covid-19 virus.

They are looking at thousands of different medicines and drugs to see if any of them might be useful against Covid-19. It's kind of like a big puzzle, where scientists have to figure out which pieces fit together to make a picture of how to stop the virus.

So, that's basically what drug repurposing research is. It's a way that scientists are trying to find a cure for Covid-19 by looking at medicines and drugs that are already out there and trying to figure out if they can use them to help fight against the virus.