Getting yourself infected with a virus or disease on purpose. Healthy test subjects have been used for years to research diseases such as malaria. Not just like that, as a lot of preparatory research precedes this and ethical dilemmas are all carefully considered.
Internist infectiologist Meta Roestenberg of the LUMC is leading the preparatory research into use for test subjects in the fight against corona. “If the button goes green and healthy people are allowed to be infected with corona, we can get to work.”
Is it already clear whether we are going to use test subjects?
“No. A group of experts, such as subsidy provider ZonMW, an ethics committee and the Ministry of Public Health, must decide that. I conducted the preliminary research with my team. That is, as it were, the scenario for when we start working with test subjects. We started doing this months ago. It is also the only preparatory study in our country. If there is a ‘go’, we can start. “
What does the preliminary study show?
“We have set all the advantages and disadvantages against each other. When we use test subjects, we want to work with people from 18 to 30 years old. They are injected with small amounts of the coronavirus. We have determined that the chances of those test subjects in the hospital is 1 in 1000. The dilemma we face is: do the scientific benefits outweigh the health risks the young subjects run? If the experts agree, we can start. “
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When will that be decided?
“No idea. That also depends on all kinds of other things. The fact that the developments of the vaccine are going so well is a factor, for example. The decision could be made next week, but it could also take months. I can’t say anything about that.”
What can such research yield?
“We can learn a lot about the disease caused by the new coronavirus by people from porefeatures. Why does one get sick and the other doesn’t? How does the disease process work? Scientifically, it is incredibly instructive.”
Are there countries already working with test subjects?
“In England there is now an agreement that test subjects may be used. The English government is the first. That decision could affect that of our country. But we have to make our own decisions.”
Suppose it continues, what does such a test subject get in return?
“You will receive an expense allowance for the time it takes you. An hourly rate. Subjects who voluntarily have themselves infected with corona will spend a lot of time, because the subjects have to be in isolation and must be examined and supervised all the time. Think of several thousand euros. The risk is also greater than, for example, with malaria, for which we have a medicine that works well.
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What kind of people do that?
‘Only a small part of the Dutch population wants to be a test subject. It does indeed sound a bit lugubrious: to voluntarily make yourself ill. But they are very smart, grounded people. They would like to contribute to a better world. I can imagine that there are people willing to help in the fight against the coron crisis. Compare it to a firefighter. He also throws himself into a burning house at the risk of his own life in order to save another. “
Would you do it yourself, be a test subject?
“And. The Absolute.”
If we start working with test subjects, how will we be told?
“That decision will be announced in the media and there will be advertisements to recruit test subjects. Then there will be all kinds of selections to ensure that we only select the healthiest people.”
Do you think that any interested parties can register before Christmas?
“I really don’t know. That decision is not only up to me. But if the button is green, we can start.”
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