Vaccine trialist feels "part of war effort" in act of resistance against Covid-19
25 April 2020, 15:39
Vaccine trialist feels "part of war effort" in act of resistance against Covid-19
This caller was about to take part in the UK's first coronavirus vaccine trial and insisted it was an act of resistance.
Lydia from Oxford was speaking to Matt Frei and was sharing her feelings around taking part in the UK's coronavirus vaccine trials. Matt wanted to know how clued in she was about the risks.
Lydia told Matt that she was given a "thorough information sheet" on the risks of the vaccine including "mild symptoms in the first couple of days" and also more scarily, she revealed there was a "small risk of side effects they can't predict" as the vaccine is brand new.
Matt wanted to know how likely it was for her to catch "full blown covid-19" to which Lydia replied that she didn't know if she'll get a more serious bout of the virus as a result of taking part in the trial.
He also asked the Oxford native if she was nervous about taking part in the trials, and wondered if she felt like a hero. Lydia assured Matt that she doesn't feel brave for taking part.
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Lydia told Matt that she has found herself not taking anything for granted in the last few weeks and that she couldn't take a back seat in the coronavirus effort anymore.
Her taking part in the vaccine tests was "small act of resistance against the sense of hopelessness" in the eyes of Lydia and she was raring to be part of a historic event.
Summing up her contribution to the coronavirus crisis, Lydia told Matt that her taking part in the vaccine trials was "as close to being part of a war effort that I'll ever be".
