More volunteers needed for urgent Covid-19 research, says health chief

More volunteers are urgently needed to take part in fast-tracked clinical trials to help develop potential Covid-19 treatments, a Government research agency chief has said.

Although more than 100,000 people have enrolled to take part in the crucial public health research, Professor Nick Lemoine, of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), said “large numbers of people” are needed to generate the scientific evidence required to establish an effective treatment or vaccine for the disease.

The NIHR has prioritised 48 urgent public health research studies with 101,622 participants recruited to date.

But as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to drop in the UK, the agency said there is an even greater need for people testing positive with Covid-19 to sign up for research.

Prof Lemoine, who is chair of the NIHR’s Urgent Public Health Group, said: “Despite a remarkable 100,000 participants volunteering to help our fight against Covid-19 through taking part in health research, we still need more people to take part.

“This includes people who receive a positive test for Covid-19 to take part in a whole range of new treatment trials, while we also hope that soon many thousands of people who have not had Covid will have the opportunity to volunteer in key vaccine trials.”

While most of the clinical trials are recruiting Covid-19 patients in hospitals, those without the disease can take part through the NIHR’s Be Part of Research programme as some studies will be looking for healthy volunteers.

Prof Lemoine said: “It is vital that despite falling infection rates in the UK, we are able to maintain and even up the pace of recruitment, so that the research teams are able to establish the best way to treat and care for patients as soon as possible.

“It is therefore also incredibly important that everyone who is diagnosed with Covid-19 and is offered the chance to take part in a trial, takes up that opportunity wherever possible.

“This is important not only for the potential health benefits that the trial drugs and treatment being assessed may bring to patients’ own recovery – but crucially, to advance the healthcare science so that one day soon we have the evidence base to enable an effective treatment or vaccine to be made widely available to all patients, not just across the NHS – but around the world.”

Meanwhile, a man who recovered from coronavirus and was among the first patients to enrol in one of the Covid-19 clinical trials has spoken of how he wanted to “step up” to help with research into treatments for the disease.

Graeme Brammall, from Cromer in Norfolk, was hospitalised for nine days at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital at the end of March and required high dependency care.

During his treatment, the 57-year-old took part in the Recovery trial – which is investigating whether a number of potential drug treatments can improve health outcomes for patients with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.

Mr Brammall said: “I was really, really sore, I was drifting in and out of this world. All I wanted to do was sleep all the time, I had no energy. It is the most frightened I have been in my life. My chest was shaking from the inside out.”

He added: “At the end of the day, if you can help somebody in life and help save lives, you would. How are they going to find a cure?

“People have to step up to the mark or we are going to be in the dark ages and not move forward.”