Amidst the great chaos of COVID-19 and instability caused by the pandemic all across the globe, Anika Chebrolu, a 14-year-old Indian-American girl discovered a probable cure for this novel disease.
COVID-19 is one of the most spread SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) diseases, which causes contagious or at times fatal respiratory diseases which can even lead to death.
She has won the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge and a $25000 prize for creating an anti-viral vaccine that is supposed to be a potential drug against the Corona Virus disease. “Anika has an inquisitive mind and used her curiosity to ask questions about the vaccine for COVID-19,” said Dr. Cindy Moss, a judge for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
According to her research, the drug will bind the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 which can control and even stop the spread of the disease.
Anika said that her discovery is a big win but her work isn’t done completely and she has various further goals. Her next aim is to “control morbidity and mortality” by turning her research into an actual cure. She dreams to work together with researchers and scientists who are effortlessly working to find a cure against COVID-19.
Anika always aspired to be a medical researcher. Initially, she used silico methods to find a cure for the influenza virus. But after the great spike in the spread of COVID-19 disease, she routed her research towards the disease by approaching through the same method. Anika used various software to research over her project. Her project got great attention from the media and medical researchers as it is supposed to be one of the greatest inventions of 2020.
Chebrolu also mentioned that she would donate some of her winnings to her self-made nonprofit medical academy “Academy Aid”, which helps teens to pursue STEM research, and the rest to continue her research to develop the anti-viral.
This research can bring revolutionary changes not only to bring a cure to the COVID-19 disease but also for many other viral diseases.
