GP surgeries across Kent are inviting patients with Covid-19 symptoms to take part in a clinical trial to find an effective treatment for the deadly infection.

Eight practices in the county - in Canterbury, Maidstone, Whitstable, Faversham, Dartford and Rochester - are asking people over the age of 65 or those with underlying health conditions and aged 50 to 64 to enrol in the study.

Scientists leading the trial hope to unearth a drug that could prevent coronavirus sufferers from being admitted to hospital.

Led by a team from Oxford University, the tests - called PRINCIPLE - will initially see people given a seven-day course of hydroxychloroquine, which has traditionally been used to treat malaria and certain types of arthritis.

Medics hope it will slow or halt the progression of the virus.

The trial’s chief investigator, Professor Chris Butler, said: "The trial platform is enabling us to rapidly evaluate potential treatments for Covid-19 in older people who are most at risk of serious complications from the illness.

"With enough people recruited, this trial will give us the vital information we need to understand whether existing drugs can help people recover sooner and at home, without needing to be admitted to hospital - a significant milestone in the course of this pandemic.

"As soon as we find that any one of the drugs in our trial is making a critical difference to people’s health, we want it to be part of clinical practice as soon as it can be introduced."

Those willing to sign up must fit the age and health criteria and have a cough or fever.

More than 500 GP practices across the country are taking part, including the eight in Kent - Canterbury Medical Practice; Whitstable Medical Practice; Newton Place Surgery, Faversham; Thorndike Surgery, Rochester; Swanscombe Health Centre, Dartford; and The Vine Medical Centre, Blackthorn Medical Centre, and Brewer Street Surgery, all in Maidstone.

Medics will later add a course of antibiotic azithromycin to the trial, which has received £1.7m of funding from UK Research and Innovation and the Department of Health.

Professor Fiona Watt, from the Medical Research Council, which is helping fund the study, said: "This trial is very important. It is focused on older people and those with co-morbidities, who are much more likely to be hospitalised with Covid-19.

"We need more people to join the trial to see if we can identify a drug that helps prevent people reaching hospital and speeds up their recovery.’

Patients looking to enrol in PRINCIPLE can check their suitability by contacting participating surgeries or filling out an online questionnaire here.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.

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