Should You Participate in a Covid-19 Clinical Trial?

As we all know, covid-19 has affected everything: from an individualistic level to a business level, and everything in between. You’ve probably been hearing about how important it is to get tested for covid-19, but have you heard of how important clinical trials are? The fact of the matter is medical research is crucial in advancing healthcare as whole, but most importantly, it is the potential key for a covid-19 breakthrough. Could you be a part of helping the next generations to come?  

First and foremost: what exactly is a clinical trial? A clinical trial is essentially a big human experiment, with your safety in mind, of course. Right now, there are hundreds of trials happening in the U.S, meaning there’s an opportunity for you to help your loved ones and your community as well. Do good feel good, right? Participating in a clinical trial is simple, and if you’re ever looking to be a part of one: Clinicaltrials.gov has the largest list of clinical trials, including covid-19 ones, while CoronaVirusPreventionNetwork.org is specifically geared towards covid-19.  

Don’t get too excited, though. There is a possibility that you may be rejected from participating in a trial, and it could be due to your health history or your demographic profile (diversity is important!) There is also a possibility that you could receive a placebo since the choice is not up to you. However, if you do end up being a part of a placebo group, it is important that you stick with it until the end, as dropping out of the trial can create biased results. Lastly, make sure you always read the fine print! During your recruitment process, you should be getting detailed documents explaining: the reason for the trial, requirements for participation, and the potential health consequences (if any) that could incur. Knowledge is power, so always be sure to ask questions or express your concerns to the research team. To all our healthcare heroes and all other essential workers: thank you, and to everyone else: the answer is yes, you should participate in a covid-19 clinical trial near you!  

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