COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and triggered a global pandemic beginning in 2020. Vaccines and antiviral treatments have reduced severe illness and death, but the virus continues to evolve and researchers are working on broader protections and better treatments for long COVID.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing next-generation vaccines that target multiple coronavirus variants, monoclonal antibodies for immunocompromised people, combination antiviral therapies, and treatments for long COVID symptoms including fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and heart problems. Researchers are also studying nasal vaccines that might block transmission and universal coronavirus vaccines that could protect against future pandemic threats.
Long COVID treatments
Studies are testing medications for persistent fatigue, brain fog, and cardiovascular symptoms that affect millions of people months or years after infection. Trials include drugs that target viral persistence, immune dysfunction, and microclot formation.
Nasal and mucosal vaccines
Vaccines delivered as nasal sprays aim to block infection at the point of entry rather than just preventing severe disease. Early trials suggest they might reduce transmission more effectively than current vaccines.
Pan-coronavirus vaccines
Researchers are developing vaccines that target parts of the virus shared across multiple coronaviruses. These could protect against future variants and related viruses that might cause the next pandemic.
What to know before you search
Eligibility varies widely: vaccine trials often want healthy volunteers or specific age groups, treatment trials may require recent infection or long COVID diagnosis, and some studies focus on immunocompromised individuals or specific symptom clusters.
What types of trials are currently open
- Vaccine trials — Testing updated vaccines targeting current variants, nasal vaccines, and universal coronavirus vaccines that might protect against future strains.
- Antiviral trials — Testing new antiviral medications and combinations of existing drugs like nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) to prevent severe illness and reduce viral persistence.
- Long COVID trials — Testing treatments for ongoing symptoms including fatigue, cognitive problems, shortness of breath, and heart issues that persist after initial infection.
- Immunocompromised trials — Studies of extended antibody protection and preventive treatments for people whose immune systems don't respond well to vaccines.
- Prevention studies — Following vaccinated and unvaccinated people to understand immunity duration, breakthrough infections, and what protects against severe disease.
Recently added Covid-19 trials
Exploring the Extended Efficacy and Initial Use of RUCONEST® in Managing Neurological Symptoms Linked to Infectious Pathogens
Assessment of RUCONEST (C1 Esterase Inhibitor \[Recombinant\]) in Alleviating Neurological Symptoms Linked to Infectious Pathogens
CEDRN Pandemic Preparedness Registry
This study aims to help Canada be better prepared for future pandemics by improving how hospitals collect and use information about patients with respiratory infections, such as influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Emergency departments are often the first place where new viruses appear, and they care for people from all walks of life. By collecting the same types of information from many hospitals across the country, we can better understand how these illnesses affect people and how to respond more quickly in future emergencies. The study will build a national database that follows patients from the time they arrive by ambulance or walk into the emergency department through their hospital stay. Researchers will look at symptoms, treatments, test results, recovery, and how well vaccines and medications work in real-world settings. We believe that people who come to emergency departments with respiratory infections will show important differences in how sick they become, what treatments they receive, and how they recover, depending on factors like age, health conditions, and where they live. We also think this information can help create accurate tools that predict who can safely go home from the emergency department and who is at higher risk of severe illness or death.
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