More than 30,000 have already signed up
Kidney donor is organising volunteers into a group called 1DaySooner
The article by Eyal’s group struck a chord with Josh Morrison, 34. Eight years ago, he donated a kidney to a stranger, and now runs an advocacy group for kidney donors. The opportunity to save someone else’s life meant a great deal to him, and he sees challenge trials as a chance to do it again.
“If it could lead to a speedier creation of a vaccine for the disease Covid-19, we are willing — without reservation — to have doctors infect us with the novel coronavirus,” he and Sophie
If it could lead to a speedier creation of a vaccine for the disease Covid-19, we are willing — without reservation — to have doctors infect us with virus.”
Josh Morrison | Volunteer
Rose, 22, a graduate student in epidemiology, wrote in The Washington Post.
Morrison, who had a brief career as a corporate lawyer, has begun organising others who are interested in volunteering into a group called 1DaySooner. So far, about 30,000 people from 140 countries have signed up online saying they might participate in a challenge trial. Donations of $700,000 have enabled him to hire three fulltime staff members.
Significant risks
“There are significant risks in childbirth and kidney donation,” Morrison said in an interview. “No one should take them lightly but they are things we allow people to consent to. I hope for an effective treatment by the time a trial would be conducted, but if not, I do think it would be reasonable to go forward with challenge trials.”
His hope is that an established research centre will conduct the trials. Much of his efforts have gone toward finding a company to produce batches of the virus for use in the studies.