Should we infect people with COVID-19? Although most people would say ‘no’, this prospect could help speed the development of a vaccine. In these trials, half the people would be treated with a test vaccine for COVID-19 and half the people would receive a placebo. Then, people in both arms would be infected with COVID-19 and researchers could verify if the vaccine worked. Some people, such as Alex Tabarrok of Marginal Revolution, have been advocating for human challenge trials. CNN provides a news report on the topic.
Over 16,000 people (as of May 13) have signed up to be part of a human challenge trial at 1 Day Sooner.