Scientists and researchers are working round the clock in an effort to devop a vaccine for the coronavirus.

While a drug that can kill Covid-19 has yet to be found, there are more than 20 vaccines currently in development.

Here’s all you need to know.

What vaccines are in development?

Several vaccines are currently in the process of being developed, with some drugs already being tested in humans, while others are moving closer to starting clinical trials.

Scientists in Australia have begun injecting ferrets with two potential vaccines, becoming the first comprehensive pre-clinical trial to move to the animal testing stage.

Researchers say they hope to move to the human testing stage by the end of April.

Elsewhere, the first human trial for a vaccine has started in Seattle in the US, with researchers opting to sidestep the usual process of conducting animal research first to test the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.

Pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and GSK have teamed up in the hope of making a vaccine available by the middle of next year, and are hoping to enter a candidate in clinical trials in the second half of this year.

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are also working on a fingertip-sized patch which could be a potential vaccine for coronavirus.

In China, CanSino Biologics has begun the second phase of testing its vaccine candidate, while a potential vaccine made by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Moderna Inc in America is moving along.

Tests such as these are being conducted at a much faster pace than usual, with some researchers taking a new approach to development.

However, even if tests prove successful, it is not expected a vaccine will be able to be mass produced until the second half of 2021.

What progress has been made in the UK?

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) has identified 115 Covid-19 vaccines at varying stages of development, with five of these now moved to clinical development.

Scientists who are working on a potential vaccine at the University of Oxford say it could be available for use by the general public by September.

UK volunteers could be given the first dose of the vaccine within the next week as part of the clinical trials, researchers have said.

Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at the university, and her team say nothing can be guaranteed, but it is possible something could be available by autumn if everything goes perfectly.

However, there is always an unknown and scientists can never be certain that vaccines are going to work.

Although Professor Gilbert explained she said she was 80 per cent confident of the vaccine's success, stating: "Personally, I have a high degree of confidence.

"This is my view, because I've worked with this technology a lot, and I've worked on the Mers vaccine trials, and I've seen what that can do.

"And, I think, it has a very strong chance of working."

Researchers at the University of Cambridge are also working on a potential vaccine, while doctors are also testing anti-viral drugs to see if they work against coronavirus.

Such trials are taking place in England and Scotland on a small number of patients with an anti-viral drug called remdesivir, which was originally developed as an Ebola drug.

However, the drug also appears to be effective against a variety of viruses.

Other studies on anti-malarial drugs called chloroquine are also taking place, as laboratory tests have shown it can kill the virus, although the World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is not definitive evidence of its effectiveness.

When could a UK coronavirus vaccine be ready?

The team at Oxford University are hoping to have at least a million doses of the vaccine available by autumn, but need to ensure it can be manufactured at the required pace

Professor Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the university, said the team probably has the "most ambitious scale up" programme of all the groups working on a vaccine.

He said: "We're now moving to the point where instead of doing maybe a three litre manufacturing run, we're up to 50 litres will go to 100, 200, maybe even 2000.

"And we're talking to manufacturers who can provide that sort of manufacturing service.

"The aim is to have at least a million doses by around about September, once you know the vaccine efficacy results.

"And then move even faster from there because it's pretty clear the world is going to need hundreds of millions of doses, ideally by the end of this year to end this pandemic, to let us out of lockdown.

"A vaccine is the exit strategy for this pandemic and then we're very likely to need a vaccine in future years because it's unlikely we'll be able to eradicate this virus."

Who would get the vaccine first?

The vaccine would be in limited supply once it is first developed, meaning it will likely be given to priority groups first.

This would most likely include healthcare workers and older people.