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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.
TOPSHOT - A picture taken by a doctor at the Sheikh Zayed hospital in the Egyptian capital Cairo on April 25, 2020, shows radiology technicians, wearing protective gear, posing for a picture in a lab in the isolated ward for the coronavirus (COVID-19) patients. - The virus has so far infected over 8,000 people and claimed 514 lives in Egypt, according to official figures. (Photo by Yahya DIWER / AFP) (Photo by YAHYA DIWER/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

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