The North Cumbria integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust Research and Development (R&D) Primary care team is one biggest recruiters for PRINCIPLE study in the north of England.

Cumbrian residents with COVID-19 are working with the NCIC Trust’s research team to help find treatments for the virus.

The research trial is called PRINCIPLE and is led by Oxford University. The Trust research and development primary care team have already recruited more than 3000 patients and are looking for more.

Stacey Fisher, Research GP for NCIC said:

“We have been recruiting since March and so far, the study has recruited 3000 participants. It is fantastic that so many patients, including Cumbrians, have already participated.

“Eligible people for the study are those aged over 60, or those over 50 with specific underlying medical problem, who have had symptoms of COVID-19 for less than 15 days. If you are or have been in hospital, you are no longer eligible.”

“We do need to keep working on different ways to combat the COVID-19 crisis. This includes continuing to look for effective treatments. Anyone who wishes to take part in the PRINCIPLE study will be randomised to a medicine treatment or usual care (i.e. no treatment) – the treatment may benefit them at the time but we don’t know for certain which is why we need to have studies like these.”

Leon Jonker, Science and Innovation Manager, said:

“We need as many participants as we can get and everyone who signs up to be part of the study will be contributing to vital research and helping us to find new treatments for COVID-19.”

“There trial uses different treatment techniques to understand what is most effective for different people. So far, we have used hydroxychloroquine, doxycycline and azithromycin and we are waiting to hear the results of those treatments. Currently, the treatment we are researching as part for eh study is a steroid inhaler.”

You can become a participant by going online to www.principletrial.org

You can also find out more information about the https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/trust/research-development