'I'm very much alive!': First volunteer injected in UK's coronavirus trial appears on video to prove she is still breathing after anti-vaxxers spread fake news that she had died
- Dr Elisa Granato filmed herself on Sunday saying she was 'very much alive'
- Microbiologist says she took part in trial to 'support the scientific process'
- Department for Health said rumours of her death were 'completely untrue'
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
A microbiologist who was among the first to take part in Oxford's coronavirus trial has shared a video saying she is 'very much alive,' after anti-vaxxers spread fake news that she had died.
Dr Elisa Granato was among the first volunteers to potentially be given a coronavirus in Oxford when the trial began on Thursday, but rumours quickly spread online that she had died.
The Department for Health and Social Care tweeted on Sunday to say: 'News circulating on social media that the first vounteer in a UK coronavirus vaccine trial has died is completely untrue.'
Dr Granato filmed herself on Sunday, putting an end to any rumours of her death.
Dr Elisa Granata was pictured on Thursday taking part in the University of Oxford's first trial to try and find a cure for coronavirus, but fake news that she had died has since spread online
In the video she said: 'I'm very much alive, I'm having a couple of tea it's Sunday 26 April, three days after my birthday, three days after I got the vaccine, or the control I don't know, and I'm having a nice Sunday.
'I hope everyone else in the world has too.'
Dr Granato appeared in the media on Thursday as hundreds of volunteers stepped up to either take a coronavirus vaccine or be part of a control group, which were being given a meningitis shot.
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Speaking earlier in the week, Dr Granato told the BBC: 'Well I'm a scientist so of course I want to try and support the scientific process wherever I can and since I don't study viruses I felt a bit useless these days so I felt this is a very easy way for me to support the cause.'
Scientists at the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, began the first human trial in Europe by administering the trial injections, which were developed in under three months, to more than 800 volunteers on Thursday.
The volunteer, who was injected with the vaccine on Thursday, said that she wanted to take part in the trial as a way to support the cause
The microbiologist shared a video on Sunday confirming she was alive, after fake news spread she had died after taking part in the coronavirus vaccine trial in Oxford on Thursday
And Health Secretary Matt Hancock has insisted that Britons will be first in the queue for any successful UK-developed vaccine from the £42 million programmes.
Once the vaccine, which is made from a weakened version of the common cold virus from chimpanzees, is injected into participants it will prompt the body to produce antibodies and T-cells which will in turn destroy the virus.
Scientists, who will pursue a larger trial of about 5,000 volunteers in the coming months, will know if the vaccine has worked by looking at the number of candidates who become infected with the virus from the two groups.
