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Volunteers to get paid Sh400k each to be injected with coronavirus

By Amina Wako March 10th, 2020 1 min read

Scientists are looking for 24 individuals who are willing to volunteer to be infected with Coronavirus in an experiment to develop a vaccine for the deadly virus that is causing panic across the globe.

The Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre in Whitechapel, London is recruiting 24 people for the study and according to the Daily Mail, they will be compensated with £3,500, an equivalent of approximately Sh471,588.

The study will test if a jab developed by Hvivo will successfully fight COVID-19 and the individuals are set to be injected with two weaker strains (0C43 and 229E) of the virus that has so far left more than 3,800 people dead.

To get their pay cheque, participants must stay in quarantine for two weeks and eat a restricted diet.

They are also not allowed to have contact with anyone else or even exercise.

The scientists will then assess their response to the vaccine while wearing protective clothing and the room is expected to be well ventilated.

World Health Organization (WHO) has listed about 35 vaccine candidates but Hvivo is not among them.

Up to 35 other vaccines are being developed and the UK government has pledged an equivalent of Sh6.2 billion in extra funds to aid in the fight against coronavirus.

Hvivo announced its planned experiment with the vaccine after a man in his 60s became the UK’s third death linked to the deadly COVID-19 virus.

The 24 volunteers for the medical experiement can only be used after the UK’s medicine watchdog – Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency- approves.