Not many individuals would willingly subject themselves to the infection of a potentially deadly new virus in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. However, in the early stages of the pandemic, 36 young and courageous individuals volunteered to be infected with the coronavirus in order to provide valuable insights into this novel and dangerous foe. I, too, have taken part in unpleasant and at times painful experiments, such as purposefully ingesting tapeworm eggs for a study on the impact of the parasite on the immune system. While initially repulsive, I hardly noticed the presence of the eggs until months later when I viewed images from a pill camera. In another experiment, I was injected with psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” while inside a brain scanner. The experience was surreal, akin to the sensation of a spacecraft entering hyperdrive in Star Trek. The walls of the scanner dissolved, and I felt as though I was soaring through the stars.
Despite my own experiences, I’m uncertain if I would have consented to being infected with Covid-19, particularly in the early days of the pandemic when our understanding of the virus was limited. Nevertheless, I am grateful that others were willing to do so. This groundbreaking trial took place at the Royal Free Hospital in London in February 2021, and the latest findings have been published in The Lancet Microbe.
Known as a “human challenge study,” this type of trial involves deliberately infecting healthy volunteers to gain a precise understanding of how new viruses spread and how they can be treated. However, this approach is controversial, as it entails exposing healthy individuals to the risk of serious illness or even death. In contrast to conventional vaccine trials, which involve inoculating a large group and observing who becomes infected and whether the benefits of the vaccine outweigh any side effects, human challenge studies involve intentionally infecting individuals. The participants in this trial were fully informed about the potential risks and the experiment was conducted under carefully controlled conditions.
In earlier times, medical practices were vastly different. Dr. Edward Jenner, one of my medical heroes, was the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of vaccination against smallpox, a fatal and disfiguring disease, by infecting individuals with cowpox, a relatively harmless disease often contracted by milkmaids. Despite the wisdom of hindsight, Jenner’s methods were difficult to justify. He initially rubbed pus from a milkmaid’s cowpox blisters into cuts on the arm of an eight-year-old boy named James Phipps. James experienced a mild fever, but no serious consequences. Two months later, Jenner repeated the process, this time infecting James with pus from a smallpox patient. It is unlikely that James or his family fully grasped the risks involved – that he could contract smallpox and potentially die a gruesome death, as well as spread the disease to his loved ones. Fortunately, the previous cowpox inoculation protected James from smallpox. Despite facing ridicule and fierce resistance from skeptics, Jenner continued his work, eventually saving millions of lives worldwide.
While the recent Covid challenge trial did not produce results as groundbreaking as Jenner’s experiment, the findings will prove invaluable in the event of another outbreak. The trial revealed that although all participants were exposed to the same dose of the virus, only half became infected, suggesting that the remaining individuals may have possessed some form of prior immunity. Additionally, while none of the infected volunteers experienced severe illness, two individuals acted as “super-spreaders,” releasing significantly more viral particles through coughing and sneezing than others in the group. This confirms suspicions held by many scientists that a small number of super-spreaders contributed to the majority of Covid cases. The experiment also demonstrated that the virus primarily resides in the nose shortly after infection, emphasizing the importance of properly covering the nose when wearing masks. Through daily swabs and blood samples, the researchers discovered that lateral flow tests, performed soon after symptom onset, proved reliable in detecting infectiousness. Furthermore, the experiment determined that individuals begin dispersing Covid particles into the air and onto surfaces shortly after becoming infectious, dispelling previous doubts about surface transmission. A recent study by Imperial College London highlighted the importance of surface contact as a potential means of contracting the virus. These findings underscore the effectiveness of basic hygiene in controlling the spread of airborne viruses such as Covid.
While the UK Covid-19 inquiry, currently underway, will address the government’s response to the pandemic and the efficacy of measures such as lockdowns and mask-wearing, studies like the Covid challenge trial have already provided valuable insights into the behavior of coronaviruses, susceptibility among populations, and effective preventative measures. Furthermore, these studies serve as a reminder that despite technological advancements, there are still instances in which human volunteers are indispensable in answering fundamental questions.
I suspect that my prominent nose and tendencies toward weight gain originate from my father, while the composition of my gut microbiome, vital to overall health, is largely influenced by my mother, at least during my childhood. This is because our guts are sterile in utero, but as we pass through the birth canal, we ingest a blend of our mother’s fluids, which establishes a unique microbial ecosystem that remains with us for years and impacts our long-term well-being. However, babies born via Caesarean section possess different gut microbes and face a higher risk of health issues such as obesity, asthma, food allergies, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Researchers at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, have attempted to address this issue through a study involving the rubbing of newborns’ faces and mouths with gauze soaked in either saline water or their mothers’ fluids. At six months of age, the offspring in the “microbe” group demonstrated accelerated development and higher scores in areas such as communication and problem-solving. Similar studies are currently investigating the connection between Caesarean delivery and conditions such as asthma, eczema, ADHD, and obesity. However, it is important to note that the study is still in its early stages, and parents should not attempt this technique without proper guidance.
An intriguing report in the Mail this week suggests that a daily nap could help stave off memory loss. A study published in the journal Sleep Health examined data, including brain scans, from over 35,000 individuals between the ages of 40 and 69. The findings indicated that regular nappers had larger brains, suggesting that napping preserves brain volume and potentially lowers the risk of dementia and other diseases. While my wife, Clare, thoroughly enjoys a short afternoon nap, I struggle to find the time for one in my schedule. However, perhaps I should prioritize it after considering the potential benefits. I recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Sara Mednick, a cognitive neuroscientist and sleep researcher at the University of California, who further delved into the importance of napping in an episode of my podcast, Just One…
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