In a recent survey of clinical trial professionals (including pharmaceutical sponsors, CROs, site representatives and vendors), respondents reported that one of their most significant concerns was clinical trial patient recruitment and retention. This response ranked fourth, only behind the issues of trial complexity, regulatory frameworks and increasing costs. This situation was exacerbated by the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 virus in the first quarter of 2020. This paper explores the early lessons learned about conducting a clinical trial during a pandemic.