Covid-19: Clinical vaccine trials to be undertaken in South Africa

SOUTH Africa is set to join a group of select countries participating in a clinical trial to find effective treatment for Covid-19.

Announced by Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, South Africa, along with nine other countries, will participate in the ‘public health emergency solidarity trial’ initiated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

An independent group of experts has been convened by the WHO to review evidence of various clinical studies and prioritise treatments for inclusion in the trial.

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Treatments for ebola and HIV/Aids, among others, have been identified as options in the trial.

These include:

· Remdesivir – previously used in an ebola trial;

· Lopinavir/ritonavir – a licensed treatment for HIV/Aids;

· Lopinavir/ritonavir with interferon beta-1a – used for multiple sclerosis; and

· Chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine which are used to treat malaria and rheumatology conditions respectively.

In a bid to facilitate worldwide comparison of unproven treatments, all participating countries will adhere to the same methodology.

Led by professors Helen Rees and Jeremy Nel, the South African solidarity research team includes 30 senior academics, researchers and clinicians from eight medical schools across the country.

They will be carrying out the study in 14 major hospitals across the country.

Other countries confirming their participation in the trials include Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.

It is unclear when the trial will officially begin, but other trials are already under way in various countries such as the UK, Europe and Canada.

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