NOVI, Mich. – There are 22 coronavirus vaccines currently in human clinical trials.
The people who volunteer to test these vaccines play a critical role.
Ronald Scott, a minister from Novi, heard the call for volunteers and decided he wanted to help out too.
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He went online to volunteer to test a COVID-19 vaccine and spoke with the study coordinator Friday.
“They’ve had 40,000 volunteers in the first 48 hours,” Scott said. “They’re very pleased with that.”
Scott, 82, has been a minister for the past 25 years and is in excellent health.
“I went out for a run this morning,” Scott said. “I work out three times a week.”
He used to lift weights until the gyms had to shut down.
Scott said he’s not worried about potential side effects.
“I think it’ll be an interesting adventure if I’m selected,” Scott said. “They’ll be calling us once a week at least for a while, and that we have to agree to 10 different tests over one to two years to go in and be swabbed.”
He’s expected to keep a diary of any symptoms as well. Scott knows how important it is to find a vaccine.
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“Just life changing for everyone and the whole world is looking for this,” Scott said. “Our country has not done as well as some at dealing with this.”
He said it’s important to not minimize the chance of doing what you can to help others.
“That’s what makes my life worthwhile,” Scott said.
Scott is married with five children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
He said his family is very supportive of him participating and thought it was a good idea.
If you’d like to volunteer to test out potential COVID-19 vaccines, click here.
Anyone who believes they might have coronavirus should follow the CDC guidelines. Michigan.gov has a list of resources available to those concerned about COVID-19.
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To learn more on volunteering, click here.