World’s First ‘Human Challenge Covid Trials’ Will Deliberately Infect People

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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