World’s first Covid-19 human challenge study to begin in UK: What’s it all about?

As part of the world's first Covid-19 human challenge study, healthy adult volunteers will be deliberately infected with Covid-19. Why this study is needed? How the volunteers would be selected? Read to know all about it.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Updated: February 19, 2021 9:25 am

Some people in UK will be deliberately infected with Covid-19.

Britain is set to launch the world’s first Covid-19 human challenge study in which healthy adults would be deliberately exposed to the novel coronavirus. The Imperial College London, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and the clinical company hVIVO will jointly conduct the study. It will be backed by a government investment and the country’s clinical trials ethics body has already given its approval. Also Read - ‘Get COVID-19 vaccination 24*7’: Government removes time cap

As part of the study, scientists will deliberately infect around 90 healthy adult volunteers with Covid-19 in a safe and controlled environment, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday quoting an announcement from the Imperial College London. Also Read - It is ‘unrealistic’ that COVID-19 pandemic would be over by 2021 end: WHO expert

The aim of this study is to understand the body’s immune response to the novel coronavirus and the mechanism behind the viral transmission. Also Read - ASCOT expands into India to find the most effective treatment for COVID-19

Who would be the volunteers of the study?

The volunteers of the study would be selected very carefully, and the researchers are looking for people aged between 18 and 30 years old, who are at the lowest risk of complications resulting from Covid-19. Initially, the researchers will expose them to the least amount of virus required to cause Covid-19 infection and the original coronavirus strain that has been circulating in Britain since March 2020 will be used for the study. They aren’t using the new virus variants because there is limited information about the mutated strains.

In the next step the researchers plan to vaccinate a small number of volunteers, using vaccine candidates that are proven to be safe in clinical trials, and then expose them to Covid-19. This will help in identifying the most effective vaccines and accelerate their development, the college said.

England imposed a third national lockdown beginning January 5 following a sudden surge in Covid-19 rates in the country, apparently resulting from a more transmissible coronavirus variant, known as the ‘Kent’ variant, which emerged late last year.

Imposing the lockdown measures, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a stay-at-home order, closure of bars, restaurants and most schools.

Another coronavirus variant detected in the UK

Meanwhile, researchers from Edinburgh University have identified another new variant of the novel coronavirus with some worrying mutations. Called B.1.525, the new variant is said to be somewhat similar to the South African variant, which studies have revealed can escape the protection offered by the current vaccines.

So far, 38 cases of the new variant have been detected – 2 in Wales and 36 in England. The same variant has been found in other countries, including Denmark, Nigeria and the US.

The B.1.525 variant appeared to share “significant mutations” already seen in a few other new variants. Particularly, it has a mutation called E484K – also found in the Brazil and South African variants. This change may allow the virus to evade some of the body’s immune system defences, said researchers.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Covid tally has reached 4,058,472, and death toll stands at 118,195. Globally, total 109,217,366 people been infected by the virus and as many as 2,413,912 people have lost their life.

Published : February 18, 2021 1:52 pm | Updated:February 19, 2021 9:25 am

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