By Sarah Keane • Published: 26 Dec 2020 • 11:10
WORLD’S first ever ‘human challenge Covid trials’ will deliberately infect people with coronavirus to aid research
In the first study of its kind, the Imperial College will deliberately infect 2,500 volunteers aged 18 to 30 with coronavirus in a controlled experiment beginning in January.
Results from the study are expected in May, the government told the Times, adding that “the aim will be to discover the smallest amount of virus it takes to cause a person to develop Covid-19 infection.
“This is known as a virus characterisation study and will be backed by £33.6 million of government investment.”
Volunteers will stay at a specialist diseases clinic at the Royal Free for two or three weeks, with each person paid about £4,000, reports the Mail Online.
Professor Peter Openshaw, mucosal immunologist and respiratory physician, working on lung infections at Imperial College in London, said:
“We think that by taking every precaution we can really limit the infection.
“And then we should be able to do it quite safely given the vast amount of experience that we have in this field,” he said.
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Former teacher and health services manager with a Degree in English, Sarah moved to Spain from Southern Ireland with her husband, who runs his own car rental business, in 2019. She is now enjoying a completely different pace and quality of life on the Costa Blanca South, with wonderful Spanish and expat friends in Cabo Roig. Sarah began working with Euro Weekly News in 2020 and loves nothing more than bringing all the latest national and international news to her local community.
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