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Uttar Pradesh's Sikh man offers to be human trial for testing COVID-19 vaccine

Harkeerat Singh, 44, has written to health authorities – both state and central, volunteering to serve as a specimen for human trial for any vaccine to combat coronavirus
 

Uttar Pradesh's Sikh man offers to be human trial for testing COVID-19 vaccine
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Lucknow, First Published Apr 7, 2020, 11:15 AM IST

Lucknow: Amid the growing panic around the coronavirus pandemic, a man from Uttar Pradesh has stood out as an inspiration to others. 

At this time of crisis, when the entire world is scrambling for masks and sanitisers to ward off deadly coronavirus, a person has offered himself to be used as a guinea pig to help find a vaccine for the treatment of COVID-19.

According to a report on The New Indian Express, Harkeerat Singh, 44, who is based in Lakhimpur Kheri but currently serving the lockdown with his father and brother at his village in Prayagraj, has written to health authorities - both state and Central - volunteering to serve as a specimen for human trial of any vaccine to combat coronavirus. 

Also read: Coronavirus: Virologist behind India's first testing kit

Harkeerat had been a part of National Health Mission in 2017-18. He believes it is an opportunity to do something for mankind. The report quoted Harkeerat saying, “So I have volunteered to face human trial by any medical authority working to make a vaccine for Sars-Cov-2."

“As a new vaccine is possible only after passing through human trial, I am ready to be that first human. It can be tested on me wherever necessary either in India or abroad,” he maintained.

Harkeerat has reached out to the health department, local MLA and also to Sikh Sangathan in Lucknow in this connection. He claimed that he is a Sikh, a community known for serving mankind. “I am just doing the same,” added Harkeerat.

Also read: Coronavirus: Human trial for COVID-19 vaccine begins in US

When asked about the risks involved in the trial, he said he was aware of the dangers but the cause was much bigger.

When questioned, experts said certain medical criteria have to be fulfilled before going in for any such trial and a vaccine has to go through animal trial before human trial. However, it is a lengthy process and takes years of research before reaching the stage of human trials.

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