The Containing Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) Trial

Participants with COVID-19 will be identified from lists of patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR that is obtained daily from clinical laboratories, at COVID-19 outpatient and hospital clinics, or the Emergency Rooms in Chile. After telephonically pre-screening eligibility of the index case and his/her household, and participants providing informed consent, households will be randomized 1:1 to three doses of IFN beta 1a or standard of care. Only the index case and treatment-eligible household members will receive IFN if their household is assigned to treatment arm. Other non-eligible household participants (e.g. children) will be monitored by serial SARS-CoV-2 saliva PCR and diary cards, and at day 29 all participants will be evaluated for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in blood.