Human Guinea Pig Volunteers Could Make Nearly $4,600 to Be Infected With Coronavirus

Londoners looking to pick up a hard-earned £3,507 ($4,588) will have an excellent opportunity to do so, and the only catch is that they'll have to get sick and maybe (but probably not) die.

Those desperate enough for that type of cash can volunteer themselves to be human guinea pigs for the Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre in London, as two dozen volunteers are being sought to be injected with the coronavirus and then take part in a flu camp.

The ultimate goal is for a company called hVIVO to try and find a vaccine for the disease which has, thus far, killed nearly 4,000 people worldwide.

The New York Post reports that volunteers will be given a pair of the weaker strains of the virus, 0C43 and 229E, which will likely cause them mild respiratory problems. At that point they'll be given new and old vaccines. Doctors will then analyze the patients to figure out what vaccines they're best responding to in order to potentially fast track an effective treatment.

In addition to being sick, those given the virus will have to be quarantined away from people for two weeks, eat a restricted diet, and avoid exercise. No more doing that for free.

“Drugs companies can get a very good idea within a few months of starting a vaccine study whether it’s working or not, using such a small sample of people,” said hVIVO's chief scientist Andrew Catchpole.

At the moment they are one of at least 20 companies around the globe vying for a vaccine.

They're set to begin testing once they get authorization from the Regulatory Agency of UK's Medicines and Healthcare.