This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Over half a million people taking part in coronavirus research
The total number of British people involved in urgent public health research for tackling coronavirus has soared from 100,000 in June to over half a million.
The vast number of participants has meant some of the world’s most promising vaccine candidates are being developed through UK-based studies, and has enabled initial results around vaccine effectiveness to be published at an unparalleled pace.
The Department of Health and Social Care says that it is due to rigorous clinical trials such as these that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has been able to authorise Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine for use in the UK, making the UK the first country in the western world to authorise a coronavirus vaccine.
Recruiting participants at such a scale has also led to the development of life-saving treatments for coronavirus hospitalised patients, including the recently announced findings that arthritis drug tocilizumab can be effective in treating the sickest coronavirus patients.
Since March, 73 urgent public health studies into coronavirus have been set up to investigate a range of potential treatments, vaccines and observational studies to learn more about the disease, as well as research into new diagnostic technology.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I want to thank every single person – from staff members to participants – who have taken part in this research. Everyone’s involvement has provided a vital link in the chain to help us better understand this virus and I am confident we will find a resolution through the ingenuity of science.
“The scale at which research into treatments for Covid-19 has taken place in the UK is unparalleled, and the determination for the country to come together to beat this virus is extraordinary. We understand this virus infinitely more than at the start of this pandemic and each of us must continue to look at what role we can take. By coming together and using our scientific prowess, we will prevail.”
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