UK approves world's first human challenge trial; will infect healthy volunteers with COVID

Regulators from the United Kingdom have approved the world's first coronavirus human challenge trial. This will involve volunteers who will be deliberately exposed to the virus in order to study how the virus spreads. On Wednesday, February 17, the government announced that the regulators have approved the trial and it will start within a month. The objective will be to develop more effective vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

'In a safe and controlled environment'

Also, the study will help in determining the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection. As per the reports by PTI, the researchers are seeking up to 90 volunteers, who will be aged 18-30. All these volunteers will be exposed to COVID-19 “in a safe and controlled environment”. 

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Chief Investigator Dr Chris Chiu, from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London said, “Our eventual aim is to quickly test which vaccines and treatments work best in beating this disease”. The study is being backed by a 33.6 million pound UK government investment and will be delivered by a partnership between Imperial College London, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and the clinical company hVIVO. As per the researchers, the study will take place in a specialised unit with very close monitoring. It will also involve medics on hand with treatments if they are needed. The study has already been reviewed by the UK Health Research Authority to ensure that it meets the highest ethical standards.

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Earlier, similar human challenge studies have been used in the development of treatments for a number of diseases. The diseases included, malaria, typhoid, cholera and flu. This new study will help in establishing the least amount of virus needed to spread the infection. Also, the doctors will be using the original virus that has been circulating in the UK since March 2020.

Read: UK To Begin World-first Human Trials To Study COVID-19

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(Image Credits: AP)