Egyptian COVID-19 patients complain of pressure, deception on clinical trials
Many family members of coronavirus patients in Egypt report being forced or tricked into allowing their loved ones to participate in clinical trials.
CAIRO — Egypt agreed to conduct clinical trials to help find a treatment for COVID-19 back in March.
However, several family members of patients infected with the novel coronavirus told Al-Monitor over the phone that they were not directly and expressly notified that the treatment was part of a clinical trial.
Hasna Abdul Rahman, the daughter of a patient in Assiut governorate, told Al-Monitor that her father “showed symptoms at the end of May, and he had a fever and dry cough for two days before he decided to consult the doctor at the hospital.”
She added, “When we headed to the hospital, they at first refused to take a swab to detect the virus. But with the quick escalation of symptoms, they finally agreed and the result came back positive. We were notified that he would be admitted to one of the quarantine hospitals because of his old age and serious condition. We left the hospital and were forbidden any contact with him.”
