Billy Long: Scientists across the globe working together to fight COVID-19

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

As an adolescent, I vividly remember the race to see which nation would be the first to land an astronaut on the moon.

For much of our history, scientists across the world have competed with one another, focusing on advancing their respective countries and guarding their discoveries. 

The space race put this competition on full display but the coronavirus has created a seismic shift in the opposite direction. 

Scientists from around the globe are now willing to break down barriers and share their knowledge freely in hopes of producing a COVID-19 vaccine. 

All other research has pretty much come to a halt and scientists have shattered their borders to find a cure. 

More than 200 clinical trials have begun and researchers have shared hundreds of viral genome sequences. When scientists at the University of Pittsburgh discovered a ferret had tested positive for COVID-19, rather than working on an academic journal, they shared their findings with other scientists on a conference call. 

Countries are also researching in tandem, as is the case with Massachusetts General Hospital, where a team of Harvard doctors is testing the effectiveness of inhaling nitric oxide on coronavirus patients in conjunction with hospitals in northern Italy.

The White House Office of Science and Technology recently announced the COVID-19 High-Performance Computing Consortium, making American supercomputers available to researchers around the world as they fight coronavirus. 

By sharing this technology, the hope is that research will be rapidly accelerated, producing critical data that would normally take months in a matter of days. To provide this kind of global support, American industry, academia, and the government have forged a partnership aimed at producing viable treatments for the coronavirus. 

The valuable partnerships created by these three entities will not only play a critical role in fighting the virus but could also prove essential in our recovery efforts as well as future economic growth. 

These partnerships are accelerating the discovery of game-changing technologies such as 5G, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing, promising exciting advancements that could bolster our economy after coronavirus is neutralized.

By breaking through scientific barriers and forging unlikely partnerships, we have given our nation and the world the best chance of defeating our common enemy. 

While there is still much work to be done, the collaborative efforts we’ve seen between academia, private industry, and the government both internationally and domestically have yielded promising results. 

Scientists, healthcare professionals, and first responders will help us win the war against this virus, and I will continue to work with my congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle to offer the support necessary to find a cure. Stay safe.