It’s likely health professionals will have a treatment before a vaccine, according to Fauci. Several options have already been administered to animals, and trials are underway in Washington state and the University of Nebraska for a drug called remdesivir.

If it’s at least “somewhat effective” in reducing the viral load, the intervention could be available in the next “several months,” Fauci said.

To determine the drug’s efficacy, participants were divided into a placebo group and a treatment group. On the first day, the treatment group received 200 milligrams of remdesivir and 100 milligrams on each subsequent day, for up to 10 days. The placebo group received a solution that resembles remdesivir at equal volumes…

“It always goes faster than vaccine, because you’re dealing with someone who is already sick,” Fauci said. “So the safety issues are going to be much, much different. And you will know your result almost immediately, whereas with vaccines it takes a long time.”