- [Dr. Collins] This is a diabolical virus
to try to deal with.
What concerns me most is that we're still
in the middle of it.
- [Lorie] As the directorof the National Institutes
of Health, Dr. Francis Collins,
helps lead America's responseto the Coronavirus pandemic.
- Well I'm a physician, I'malso a follower of Jesus,
and I think we are called upon to look at
what are the facts of the matter and then,
with compassion, to try tosee what we can do to help.
- [Lorie] In 2003, Collinsmade headlines in leading
The Human Genome Project,mapping and sequencing DNA.
His best selling book,"The Language of God",
described his conversion toChristianity from atheism.
He later started the BioLogos Foundation,
which leads discussionson the relationship
between faith and science.
- Surveys would say somethinglike 40% of working scientists
believe in God, and notjust a vague idea of God,
but a God who actually answers prayer.
- [Lorie] On the Coronavirus front,
Collins predicts a vaccinewill be available by December.
It would go first to those at high risk.
Then the rest of the country by spring.
One in five Americans, however,say they won't take it.
- Well, I hope they would stepback from what's going on,
in terms of a lot of conspiracytheories and social media
things that are going on and say,
"Okay, let's look at the facts here."
God gave us a brain tothink about these things
and to try to sort throughwhat the evidence is.
When the vaccines get tested,we will be very transparent
about what we've learnedabout their safety
and their efficacy, that is their ability
to prevent disease.
- [Lorie] Getting the truthis important to Collins.
Get this:
He and his associates arecurrently reviewing a jaw-dropping
400 unproven theoriesfor treatments or cures
submitted by doctors and scientists.
- One of my big goalsin the last three months
has been to try to prioritize,with help from all the
smart minds in bothindustry and in academia,
and in government.
Of those 400, which arethe ones that most need
a rigorous test, so we'll findout whether they work or not.
A lot of those clinical trialsare now getting underway.
We will know a lot moreabout this in the next
couple of months.
- While reviewing theastounding number of unproven
treatments, Collins highlightsonly three which have
successfully endured themost rigorous testing.
The antiviral, Remdesivir;
the common steroid, Dexamethasone;
and blood from survivors,known as Convalescent Plasma.
That blood contains antibodiesthat fight off COVID-19
when a person is exposed to the virus.
- And we can go even further than that,
and actually purify theantibodies from people
who have survived, so-calledmonoclonal antibodies.
And those are about to gettested in just the next few weeks
to see whether they alsoprovide lifesaving benefits.
- [Lorie] In the meantime,Collins advises everyone,
even those who seem okay, topractice social distancing,
avoid indoor crowds, wash handsfrequently, and wear a mask.
- And, certainly, mostof you who are listening
are Christians.
Isn't this what we'recalled to, to do what we can
to help those who are most vulnerable?
- [Lorie] And adds this toanyone who might minimize
the danger posed by this virus.
- Many people do manageto get this disease
and do pretty well.
Some don't even know they have it.
But for those who do get severe illness,
who end up in the hospital,end up on ventilators,
end up dying, this isa very serious plague.
And for anybody to try to downgrade that,
who hasn't actually walkedthe halls of a hospital
and seen what this disease is doing,
then really do step backfrom any kind of political
persuasions and, you know,politics and medicine
really don't mix very well together.
We oughta be careful whenwe see that happening.
- [Lorie] Collins remainshopeful and says God is working
in this pandemic, notjust in the laboratory,
but in the hearts of peoplewho for the first time
are searching for the meaning of life.
Lorie Johnson, CBN News.
