Young people who have previously had COVID-19 are to be deliberately exposed to the virus for a second time.
It’s all part of a new study that aims to monitor how their immune systems react.
The University of Oxford’s “human challenge” trial – which is being widely reported on this morning – also hopes to discover what dose of coronavirus (COVID-19) is needed to cause a reinfection, and what this may mean for developing protective immunity against the disease.
The decision to carry out the study comes after recent research has suggested that prior infection may not fully protect young people from COVID-19 in the future, with an observational study performed in the US indicating that 10% of participants ended up getting reinfected.
So, what does the study entail then?
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As part of the trial, young people – between the ages of 18 to 30 – who have previously already been naturally infected with COVID-19, will be recruited and then re-exposed to the virus in a safe, controlled environment, all while being quarantined for 17 days and cared for by researchers at a hospital until they are no longer at risk of infecting others.
Once the trail is complete, participants will then receive just under £5,000 as payment.
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The study will take phase in two phases.
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The first phase – which will involve 64 healthy volunteers – aims to establish the lowest dose of virus which can take hold and start replicating, and once the dosing amount is established, it will be used to infect participants in the second phase of the study.
Regular check-ups in the year after reinfection will also help to establish the immune response generated by the virus, as well as contributing to the creation of better vaccines and a greater understanding of how long immunity lasts.
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Professor Helen McShane, the chief investigator, said: “Challenge studies tell us things that other studies cannot because, unlike natural infection, they are tightly controlled.
“When we reinfect these participants, we will know exactly how their immune system has reacted to the first COVID infection, exactly when the second infection occurs, and exactly how much virus they got.
“As well as enhancing our basic understanding, this may help us to design tests that can accurately predict whether people are protected”.
The trial is expected to start in the summer.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Police appeal after Salford woman, 95, threatened by window cleaner in her own home
Emily Sergeant
Police are appealing for information after an elderly woman was threatened inside her own home during an attempted robbery.
Around 11am yesterday morning (27 January), officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Salford division responded to reports that a woman had cash demanded from her at an address on Belcroft Drive in Little Hulton.
It is believed that a man entered the property after offering to clean the woman’s – who police have confirmed is 95-years-old – windows, before tying her hands together, and then demanding her cash and purse.
The man’s efforts were disrupted when another woman who knew the victim arrived at the house, and thankfully because of this, no injuries were reported and the victim is being supported by officers.
The man fled the scene, and no arrests have been made at this time.
This is why police are now appealing to the public for any information that they may have that could help with their investigation while extensive enquires are ongoing – including any CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage from around the area at the time.
Investigators attended the scene and gathered evidence, which is currently being assessed and acted upon, but are also keen to speak to anyone who saw anything ‘suspicious’.
The man who committed the offence was described as white male, approximately in his late 60s or early 70s, with short mousy brown hair combed back, no facial hair, glasses, appeared well-kempt, and was wearing a dark raincoat jacket, jeans, and dark-coloured shoes.
“This was a vile incident in which a woman was tied up and threatened, and we are determined to locate the man responsible,” commented Detective Inspector Paul Davies, from GMP’s Salford district.
“Thankfully, this was not a more serious situation and we commend the brave actions of the lady’s friend who confronted the man and called officers. As we progress this investigation, we are appealing for anyone with any information to please come forward.”
Can you help? Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1082 of 27/01/26, or alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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NHS launches new AI and robot cancer detection pilot offering ‘glimpse into future’
Emily Sergeant
The NHS has launched a ‘trailblazing’ new AI and robot pilot to help spot cancers sooner.
Patients who are facing suspected lung cancer could get answers sooner under the new pilot that makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology to help doctors reach hard-to-detect cancers earlier, and all without with fewer tests too.
At the moment, patients are faced with weeks of repeat scans and procedures to come to a diagnosis.
But this could soon be replaced with a single, half-hour cancer biopsy – reducing prolonged uncertainty, and avoiding more invasive surgery.
According to the NHS, the new approach uses AI software to rapidly analyse lung scans and flag small lumps that are most likely to be cancerous, before a robotic camera is then used to guide biopsy tools through the airways with much greater precision than standard techniques.
A new NHS pilot using AI and robotic technology will help doctors reach hard-to-detect lung cancers earlier.
Weeks of scans and procedures could be replaced with a single biopsy, reducing uncertainty and avoiding more invasive surgery.
The robot can reach nodules as small as 6mm – which is around the size of a grain of rice – that are hidden deep in the lung and are often deemed too risky or difficult to access using existing methods, and once AI has highlighted higher-risk areas, doctors can then take a precise tissue sample, which is sent to specialist laboratories and reviewed by expert cancer teams to confirm or rule out cancer.
The NHS’s top cancer doctor hailed the pilot – which is currently being carried out at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust – as ‘a glimpse of the future of cancer detection’.
“Waiting to find out if you might have cancer is incredibly stressful for patients and their families,” admitted Professor Peter Johnson, who is NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer.
The NHS has launched a new AI and robot cancer detection pilot that’s offering a ‘glimpse into future’ / Credit: rawpixel
“Our lung cancer screening programme means that we are picking up more cancers at an early stage than ever, and by bringing AI and robotics together in this trailblazing NHS pilot, we’re bringing in the very latest technology to give clinicians a clearer look inside the lungs and support faster, more accurate biopsies.
“This is a glimpse of the future of cancer detection.
“Innovation like this is exactly how we can help diagnose more cancers faster, so treatment can be most effective, and why the NHS continues to lead the way in bringing new technology safely into frontline care.”
The Manc -
19th April 2021 
