Coronavirus Post-exposure Prophylaxis Trial

Researchers at the University of Minnesota seek to launch a coronavirus Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Trial to test whether an existing, available malaria medicine is effective at preventing COVID-19 disease among healthcare workers or household contacts who have a high risk exposure to someone infected with the novel SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus.   

This trial led by Dr. David Boulware, Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota, seeks to rapidly launch a randomized clinical trial in the coming days.   

This fund raising request seeks to rapidly crowd source funds to purchase the necessary medication supplies and cover basic startup costs of running the trial.

An application has been made to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the full cost of the clinical trial; however we wish to start the trial as soon as possible. 

The trial will seek to enroll 1500 volunteers nationwide who have been exposed within the last 3 days to someone ill in their household with COVID-19 or as a healthcare worker.  The trial is limited to those from the same household or exposed healthcare workers as they have the highest risk of transmission, and prophylaxis may have the greatest impact. This would shorten the time to complete the trial and make the results available.