Recruits to be exposed to virus in controlled settings

TEST SUBJECTS could be exposed to the new coronavirus in controlled settings from January in a bid to speed up vaccine development, officials have confirmed.

The Government is backing socalled human challenge studies, whereby a small number of participants will be purposefully exposed to Covid- 19.

It is hoped these studies will help speed up vaccine development.

A small number of young and healthy participants – aged 18 to 30 – will be recruited to take part in the trial.

This group of up to 90 participants will then be exposed to the virus in a controlled environment. They will be carefully monitored to establish the smallest amount of virus it takes to cause Covid- 19 but not serious illness.

It is hoped the trials will start in January, with results expected by May 2021, pending approval from regulatory bodies.

The Government announced that it is investing £ 33.6m to back the studies in partnership with Imperial College London, hVIVO and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

The aim of the research will initially be to discover the smallest amount of virus it takes to cause Covid- 19 infection in small groups of healthy young people, who are at lowest risk of harm. The next phase will be to test vaccines.

The studies will be carried out under strict conditions at the Royal Free Hospital in London and will feature healthy young adults, carefully selected by researchers, who will be compensated for their involvement. After the initial study, the volunteers will be tracked for a year.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “We are doing everything we can to fight coronavirus, including backing our best and brightest scientists and researchers in their hunt for a safe and effective vaccine.

“The funding announced today for these ground- breaking but carefully controlled studies marks an important next step in building on our understanding of the virus and accelerating the development of our most promising vaccines which will ultimately help in beginning our return to normal life.”