25-09-2020

The UK could be the first country in the world to carry out Covid �challenge trials�, where healthy volunteers would be deliberately infected with coronavirus to test possible vaccines, a report said.

According to the reports, the UK government said that it was holding discussions about developing a vaccine through such �human challenge studies�. No contracts have yet been signed.

Alastair Fraser-Urquhart, an 18-year old university student, is planning to volunteer for the trial if it is given the green light to go ahead.

�I think the challenge trial has the potential to save thousands of lives and really bring the world out of the pandemic sooner. It is just something that made instant sense to me,� AFraser-Urquhart quoted.

Speaking on the same Peter Horby, professor at the Oxford University, said that he thought the trial is a good idea with real potential to advance science and get a better understanding of the disease.

Horby said that it is likely that the volunteers would be observed very closely and their immune systems would be monitored to see how they respond to the virus.