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On this episode of "Behind the Blue," Dutch talks about the new vaccines being used to combat the coronavirus, the genetic variations of the virus that are appearing in different parts of the world, her outlook for when we may emerge from the pandemic, and more.

The Phase 3 ENSEMBLE 2 study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in up to 30,000 adults 18 years old and older. The trial will include people both with and without comorbidities associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19.

According to the report, as of October, the state had recovered 67% of jobs lost during the first months of the pandemic. But the recovery remains far from complete. Kentucky’s employment was still down 107,600 jobs — or 5.5% — from January 2020.

The Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single vaccine dose of the Janssen investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate versus placebo. Approximately 45,000 people participated worldwide. The combined UK, Baptist and Norton site was among the top enrolling sites in the world.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center is teaming up with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), the American Cancer Society (ACS) and other leading cancer organizations across the country to endorse the resumption of cancer screening and treatment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"While approved vaccines are able to prevent a COVID reinfection with a high effectiveness rate, it is still early on and we don't know how durable they are going to be in the long run. We also don’t know how effective these vaccines are at preventing asymptomatic spread. These questions are what researchers in my field will be looking at for many years to come."

Vince Venditto, PhD, assistant professor in the UK College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Science, has extensive expertise in vaccine design. He was trained in organic synthesis and vaccine development. He is currently working on a clinical trial with community pharmacies to understand the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Kentucky.

A new University of Kentucky study provides direct evidence for a testing strategy that could be used to support a shortened period of quarantine for university students who are exposed to the virus but are asymptomatic.

In our third and final part of this interview, we ask Vince and Brooke about how this pandemic possibly ends, and how we progress into a new world after COVID-19.

It has been nearly one year since the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus changed the world. With millions of people infected and over a quarter-million dead in the United States, the novel coronavirus continues its pervasive hold on our health and well-being.