PUBLIC INVITED TO SIGN UP TO HELP BEAT CORONAVIRUS

A new NHS campaign, ‘Help BEAT Coronavirus’ has launched in Greater Manchester and East
Cheshire encouraging people to take part in research to help the NHS in the fight against COVID-19.

The campaign has been developed following the incredible public response to vaccine research
trials, where more than 30,000 people across the region have taken part in a range of nationally-
prioritised COVID-19 studies supported by NIHR Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester.

Help BEAT Coronavirus’ is part of Research for the Future, an NIHR Greater Manchester initiative
that helps people find out about and take part in health and care research. It joins their range of
other successfully ‘Help BEAT’ campaigns supporting research in a number of priority areas.

Professor Andy Ustianowski, National Clinical Lead for the UK NIHR COVID Vaccine research
Programme and joint National Specialty Lead for Infection at NIHR Clinical Research Network said:

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“The success of the COVID 19 Vaccine in the UK is down to research and every person who volunteers.
We now have treatments, as a result of trials, for COVID that are saving lives. Clinical Research is
vital to fight this pandemic.  Everything that we do in medicine should be based on evidence and we
get this evidence from clinical trials. By signing up you are helping to discover new ways to prevent,
diagnose and manage COVID-19” 

Research helps to increase our understanding of how coronavirus is transmitted, how to treat
people who become infected and discover how best to help and support people living with Long
Covid.

Taking part in research means people are contributing to the NHS response to the global pandemic
by helping the NHS to find new vaccines and treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19).

After registering with the service, people will receive detailed information about research taking
place in their area, along with details of how to take part. As well as taking part in vaccine and drug
trials, there are plenty of other ways people can get involved in research, for example taking part in
discussion groups to share their experiences of lockdown or completing surveys about healthcare
during the pandemic.

The easiest way to register your interest is online, by visiting the Research for the Future website at
www.researchforthfuture.org.