Challenge studies can be controversial because they involve intentionally giving someone a virus or other pathogen in order to study its effects on the human body. The first 10 infected volunteers got the antiviral drug remdesivir to reduce their chances of progressing to severe disease. None of the study volunteers developed lung involvement in their infections. On average, the young, healthy study volunteers shed virus for 6½ days, but some shed virus for 12 days. In the end, she thinks the study has put many of the fears about human challenge studies to rest and paved the way for others.

Source: CNN April 01, 2022 03:26 UTC