Covid drug trial volunteer call

SSP Health’s 14 practices across Wigan and Leigh are participating in a trial to find treatments that reduce hospital admissions and improve symptoms for people with Covid-19 – and want patients to get involved.

The PRINCIPLE Trial is being funded by the National Institute of Health Research, which manages clinical trials for the NHS.

It is hoped the research will have as big an impact on Covid-19 as the steroid dexamethasone, which is reported to improve the survival chances of patients with the most severe cases of the illness.

People can take part in the trial if they have had Covid-19 symptoms for fewer than 15 days and are aged 50 to 64 with a pre-existing illness, or are aged 65 and above.

SSP Health patients are urged to contact their GP if they wish to take part or go to www.principletrial.org for more information from organisers of the trial, being carried out by the University of Oxford.

The aim is to find treatments for Covid-19 for people in the community at higher risk of complications to help them get better quickly and stop them needing to go to hospital.

“We are really pleased to be part of this trial, which we hope can find further effective treatments for people with Covid-19 and reduce the burden on the NHS,” said SSP Health Director, GP Dr Shikha Pitalia.

“The success of the steroid dexamethasone shows that breakthroughs can happen quickly and that patients who come forward to help in medical research play a vital role in finding new treatments that can save many lives.

“We urge our patients to help in this new trial, if they fit the criteria and feel able to.

“They could play a huge part in our battle against this disease.”