Would You Get Infected with Coronavirus for $4,600?

Coronavirus is a scary pandemic that is affecting the whole world. Flights have been canceled, hotels have shut down, borders are closed, and travel bans are in effect in many countries. Also cities and countries around the world are under quarantine to avoid the spread of the disease. There are already 265,495 cases worldwide and 11,147 deaths reported. But would you be willing to get infected with coronavirus voluntarily?

Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre, a research facility in London, is looking for 24 volunteers to inject with the coronavirus and participate in their flu camp. If that sounds crazy, try checking out their website. It says “we are experiencing high volumes of interest at this period and thank you for your patience. If you have already submitted an application to volunteer, we will make every effort to contact you as soon as possible.” So it looks like there is a huge demand.

The reason? They are offering a payment of £3,500 ($4,590) to spend two weeks, sitting or laying down in front of the television, playing video games or catching up on some reading, The Times reports. The only catch is they will get infected with coronavirus and will not be allowed any physical contact with anyone for the duration of the testing.

There are also additional tests they need to go through before being injected with the virus. Plus, they will first be infected with two weaker strains, 0C43 and 229E, which should cause only mild respiratory symptoms. Then they will then be given new or existing vaccines in an effort to find a cure for the virus.

This is clearly something that not everyone can do, especially those at higher risk such as the elderly or those with underlying conditions. And the testing will not begin right away. Hvivo needs to wait for UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to give them approval.

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Please be safe! The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Check out the CDC website for more information. During this coronavirus pandemic try your best to:

• Stay home if you can and avoid gatherings of more than ten people. This is extremely important for older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease etc.
• Practice social distancing by keeping a distance of about six feet from others if you must go out in public.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, computers, phones, keyboards, sinks, toilets, faucets and countertops.

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