The British government issued a statement on February 17 that it had approved a human trial for the novel coronavirus, exposing 90 adult volunteers to the coronavirus environment.
As a result, the United Kingdom became the first country in the world to approve the “human challenge trial” for the novel coronavirus.
According to a statement released on the British government website on the 17th, the British Clinical Trial Ethics Agency has approved the launch of the COVID-19 human challenge trial, which will start within one month.
At that time, 90 adult volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30 will be exposed to the novel coronavirus in a safe and controllable environment to help researchers understand the human body’s response to the virus, how the virus spreads, and the minimum number of viruses needed to cause infection.
The British side hopes to accelerate the understanding of the coronavirus vaccine and treatment methods through this trial.
The human trial is jointly carried out by Imperial College London, the British Government Vaccine Task Force, clinical trial research company hVIVO and so on.
Volunteers need to be tested for health risks before they can be allowed to participate in the trial and will be quarantined for 17 days.
Experts and medical staff will closely monitor them. As After that, follow-up was carried out for more than 12 months.
Volunteers participating in the COVID-19 human challenge trial are not paid, but will receive compensation of about 4,500 pounds, The Guardian reported on the 17th.
Alastair Fraser-Erkett, 18-year-old British teenager, immediately signed up after the British government announced approval of the experiment.
He said that of course there will be worries, because there are unknown risks, but he can accept these risks and has the support of his family.
He hopes that the trial will have a lasting impact, so that people can develop a vaccine earlier in future epidemics.
The Washington Post reported on the 17th that it is controversial to infect healthy people with a potentially deadly virus, even in a controllable environment.
Now that the coronavirus vaccination has been rolled out in the UK, some people question whether this human challenge trial is necessary.
“The UK has received some safe and effective vaccines, but it is vital that we continue to develop new vaccines and treatments for COVID-19,” said Clive Dicks, head of the UK vaccine working group.
