Volunteers To Be Paid £3,500 Pounds To Be Infected With Strain Of Coronavirus To Help Develop Vaccine

In March 2020, only two months out from the scientific identification of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the World Health Organization (WHO) has characterized the worldwide transmission of this infectious disease as a pandemic. The COVID-19 illness has alarmingly spread from China to over 100 locations globally. As of March 11, 2020, Iran, China, Italy, Japan, and South Korea were all experiencing ongoing, sustained transmission of the virus. Citizens everywhere are being urged to take precautions to prevent and reduce the spread of the disease. (1) However, there is one exception – those who volunteer to trial COVID-19 for the sake of vaccine development.

COVID-19 Goes Global

A flurry of activity in the first two weeks of March 2020 has brought COVID-19 to the front of every global news platform. In case you missed it, the small New York suburb of New Rochelle was thrown into COVID-19 chaos when a 50-year-old attorney fell victim to the virus. Within just three days the disease spread to nearly 30 people. And it’s believed to still be affecting the New York bedroom community. The attorney, although identified himself as a source of infection to approximately 108 new cases of COVID-19, could not have the source of his own illness identified. This case of community spreading with no known source has prompted action from the state’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, the national guard, and placed many other New Yorkers into self-quarantine. (2)

The eyes of the world have also been heavily fixed on Italy. Italian officials reported approximately 7,300 new cases of the infection after mass testing. Borrowing from China’s infection control protocols, Italy has placed a quarter of its population (approximately 16 million people in the north of the country) into quarantine for the entire month of March. How this will impact tourists, the pope, and other Italian events remains unclear. (3)

Vaccine Status: Where Are We At?

Being a new virus, what is known of COVID-19 is still evolving. Scientists around the globe are working hard to understand this emerging infectious disease. What is known for sure? (1)

The virus initially spread from an animals-to-humans, but now is spreading from humans-to-humans.

Illness severity can range greatly between those with COVID-19 – some experiencing mild symptoms and others have died.
For most, the general risk of exposure to COVID-19 is low. But having contact with COVID-19 patients, traveling to countries with widespread transmission of the disease, and having contact with travelers returning from these outbreak countries all increase an individual’s risk.
There is no known cure for COVID-19.

That being said, there is no known cure for COVID-19. YET. In fact, a vaccine to prevent the disease altogether is very much in the works in America and abroad.

The ‘Dirty Work’ Of Vaccine Development

If you don’t know how vaccines are developed, then you may be surprised to know that Hivvio, a United Kingdom lab currently based in East London, is actively recruiting volunteers for a global study of COVID-19. With permission from Britain’s regulatory healthcare and medicine body, the company is seeking to purposely infect individuals with mild coronavirus strains (OC43 and 229E). The hope is that new antiviral medications can be tested, new antibodies to coronavirus will be formed in the human body, and illness trajectories can be better studied.

Those participating in the study are being offered a hefty 3,500 pound (~$4,486) payday (thanks in part to Mr. Boris Johnson). But, study participants are not without risk or personal cost. Once inoculated with the virus, volunteers must enter a 14-day isolation period and will only have contact with clinicians and researchers involved with the study. In advance of the study, participants must be tested and screened for suitability as well. For those who have the time and don’t mind being sick – it could be a good way to help make history through the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. (4)

Seeking Protection From COVID-19

Until a vaccine makes it’s way to the global stage (and this may be months to years away!), there must be a strong focus on COVID-19 prevention. People with chronic illnesses (especially respiratory) are asked to be particularly cautious. You can infer about a person’s travel history. But, primarily, washing your hands and practicing good coughing etiquette can go a long way to stopping the illness. If you feel under the weather, stay home and don’t risk spreading anything you have to others. COVID-19 or not, no one likes to be ill in these tumultuous times. (1)

To accurately stay abreast of ongoing coronavirus news and recommendations, please continue to refer to the WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak webpage. At Healthy Holistic Living, we will strive to bring you the latest news related to COVID-19. But, make sure you stay informed by visiting real-time trusted health resources in the case of an actual or emerging outbreak here at home. (5)