Russian lab approves coronavirus vaccine after testing on themselves

A Russian state laboratory team has given tentative approval to a potential coronavirus vaccine that they tested on themselves, state media reported on Friday.

"There are no side effects," research director Alexander Ginzburg said in comments carried by state news agency TASS.

The Gamaleya National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, a subordinate of Russia's Health Ministry, conducted the research on volunteer employees.

"Everyone is healthy, happy and fulfilling their duties to the full extent," Ginzburg said.

Russian researchers have been racing to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The country's caseload of more than 325,000 is the world's second highest behind that of the United States.

"We have proven to ourselves that this product that we are offering to the country, that we are guaranteeing, will be successful," Ginzburg said of the potential vaccine.

Russian authorities have cautioned that quarantine restrictions imposed throughout much of the country cannot be completely lifted without a viable vaccine for the virus.