'Hail to Pitt' trending as Twitter users praise potential vaccine development

Praise for the University of Pittsburgh has dominated social media after the institution announced it was close to developing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.

Scientists at Pitt’s School of Medicine announced Thursday that the vaccine, when tested in mice, produces antibodies that could fight off the virus.

Testing the vaccine in mice doesn’t guarantee it will work safely in humans.

Almost immediately, “Hail to Pitt” began trending on Twitter, as students, alumni and others commended the school and its scientists. More than 2,500 tweets were posted with the phrase.

Many posts recalled the 1950s when a team at the School of Medicine, led by Dr. Jonas Salk, famously developed a successful polio vaccine.

Hail to Pitt. I’ve been saying it all along. We kicked polio’s butt, we’ll kick Covid19’s butt. #H2P https://t.co/HNdRxTD47S

— David Vorp (@DavidVorp) April 2, 2020

Even students and alumni of Pitt’s rivals — Penn State and West Virginia University — joined in the trend.

I'm an Old Gold and Blue WVU Mountaineer, but I have no problem saying "Hail to Pitt! Way to go, Panthers! https://t.co/l8jNKBrLpN

— Richard Tito (@back9boy) April 2, 2020

First and last time I say Hail To Pitt https://t.co/SCmv4po3wX

— Devin Onorato (@Devin_Onorato) April 2, 2020

I graduated from Penn State but today I say Hail to Pitt!! https://t.co/lSO2kEuBju

— Jackie Huba (@jackiehuba) April 2, 2020

Pitt began developing the vaccine in February, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the university to be among U.S. academic labs guiding research against the disease. The university partnered with Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which invested $4.9 million in the project.

Pitt’s Thursday announcement was a hopeful reprieve from other recent news regarding the outlook of the pandemic, which claimed another 63 cases in Allegheny County on the same day.