Here's how you can take part in vital research to help tackle pandemic

Residents across the East Midlands have been urged to take part in vital research to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
People are being encouraged to 'do their bit' to help aid research.People are being encouraged to 'do their bit' to help aid research.
People are being encouraged to 'do their bit' to help aid research.

NHS trusts and GP practices across the region are working with the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) East Midlands, part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), to provide opportunities for residents to be involved in research into Covid-19.

So far, thousands of people across the region have already taken part in essential studies to help experts understand more about the disease.

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By taking part in clinical research, people are helping to establish the evidence which will lead to effective treatments or vaccines being identified and made available more widely.

Research taking place includes the testing of different drugs and treatments, studies to explore the effectiveness of newly developed vaccines, and investigations into why people from different communities are more likely to be severely affected by the disease.

Professor David Rowbotham, clinical director at the CRN East Midlands, said: “The research response to the Covid-19 pandemic across the region has been fantastic.

"We are incredibly grateful to all professionals and members of the public who are involved in essential research, and we have already made enormous progress in our understanding of how the virus works and how to treat it.

“However, we cannot rest on our laurels.

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"Now is the time to redouble our efforts and commit to using the months ahead to prioritise research into Covid-19.

"If we all do our bit and support this vital work then we can be confident that together we can beat this virus.”

Ways that residents can support research include signing up to the NHS Covid-19 vaccine research registry, whereby people can register to be contacted about taking part in vaccine trials – visit nhs.uk/researchcontact.

People can also participate in urgent research studies taking place at hospitals and GP practices, exploring how treatments and drugs can reduce the impact of the virus – visit bepartofresearch.uk.

You can also register to take part in the principle study, which enables people aged 50 plus with symptoms of Covid-19 to test drugs from the comfort of their own home – visit principletrial.org.