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Volunteers To Be Infected With Coronavirus For £3,500 In A Bid To Find Vaccine

Volunteers To Be Infected With Coronavirus For £3,500 In A Bid To Find Vaccine

Volunteers will be entitled to £3,500 if they agree to be infected with the deadly virus at Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

As the race to find a vaccination to combat coronavirus continues, a London laboratory is offering people £3,500 ($4,600) to be infected with a form of the disease.

According to The Times, willing participants will have to take two weeks off work and will be banned from physical contact with the outside world.

It's believed that up to 24 people at a time will be paid to be infected with a coronavirus - the coronavirus strain currently causing concern is also known as Covid-19.

Three people in the UK have now died.
PA

Hvivo, a company that runs a quarantine unit in an east London lab, is one of more than 20 firms and public sector organisations participating in the global effort to develop a vaccine.

The Daily Star has reported that the volunteers will be infected with two common - but much less serious - strains of the virus that has killed more than 3,800 people (and three in the UK).

The strains, known as 0C43 and 229E, are believed to cause very mild respiratory symptoms. It is hoped that if a vaccine can be developed to combat those milder cases then it could take on the novel coronavirus as well.

People wearing face masks on the London Underground.
PA

Anyone taking part in the research can expect to have their diet restricted and the most effective drugs will then be used on them.

It's been reported that nurses and doctors will be wearing protective clothing and ventilators as they take nasal swabs, do blood tests and collect any dirty tissues infected with the virus.

The plans formulated by Hvivo need to be agreed by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency before testing can begin.

LADbible has contacted Hvivo for a statement.

Yesterday (8 March) the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that a third person had died from Covid-19 in the UK.

The patient, in his 60s, was treated in North Manchester General Hospital and had 'significant underlying health conditions'.

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "I am very sorry to report that a third patient in England who tested positive for Covid-19 has sadly died. I offer my sincere condolences to their family and friends and ask that their privacy is respected.

"The patient, who was being treated at the North Manchester General Hospital, was over 60 years old and had significant underlying health conditions. They had recently travelled from an affected area. Contact tracing is already underway."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: uk news, coronavirus, Health