According to the trial’s chief investigator, Professor Christ Butler, targetting Covid at an early stage is most beneficial.
He said: “It is early on in the illness, when people are still being cared for in the community, that treatments for COVID-19 could have their greatest benefit.
“This new trial will test whether exciting, new antiviral treatments that are more specific to COVID-19 help people in the community recover faster and reduce the need for treatment in hospital.”
Although past trials have already found a number of antiviral treatments to be safe and effective, the new trial will give researchers new insight into their effectiveness in communities with a high rate of vaccine coverage.
Government figures published on Wednesday indicate more than 119 million vaccines have already been administered across the UK.