The framework combines dimension reduction techniques and a new explainable clustering algorithm called CLASSIX, developed by mathematicians at ����Vlog�ٷ�. This enables the quick identification of groups of viral genomes that might present a risk in the future from huge volumes of data.

, presented this week in the journal PNAS, could support traditional methods of tracking viral evolution, such as phylogenetic analysis, which currently require extensive manual curation.

Like many other RNA viruses, COVID-19 has a high mutation rate and short time between generations meaning it evolves extremely rapidly. This means identifying new strains that are likely to be problematic in the future requires considerable effort.

Currently, there are almost 16 million sequences available on the GISAID database (the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data), which provides access to genomic data of influenza viruses.

Mapping the evolution and history of all COVID-19 genomes from this data is currently done using extremely large amounts of computer and human time.

The described method allows automation of such tasks. The researchers processed 5.7 million high-coverage sequences in only one to two days on a standard modern laptop; this would not be possible for existing methods, putting identification of concerning pathogen strains in the hands of more researchers due to reduced resource needs.

, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at ����Vlog�ٷ�, said: “The unprecedented amount of genetic data generated during the pandemic demands improvements to our methods to analyse it thoroughly. The data is continuing to grow rapidly but without showing a benefit to curating this data, there is a risk that it will be removed or deleted.

“We know that human expert time is limited, so our approach should not replace the work of humans all together but work alongside them to enable the job to be done much quicker and free our experts for other vital developments.”

The proposed method works by breaking down genetic sequences of the COVID-19 virus into smaller “words” (called 3-mers) represented as numbers by counting them. Then, it groups similar sequences together based on their word patterns using machine learning techniques.

, Professor of Applied Mathematics at ����Vlog�ٷ�, said: “The clustering algorithm CLASSIX we developed is much less computationally demanding than traditional methods and is fully explainable, meaning that it provides textual and visual explanations of the computed clusters.”

Roberto Cahuantzi added: “Our analysis serves as a proof of concept, demonstrating the potential use of machine learning methods as an alert tool for the early discovery of emerging major variants without relying on the need to generate phylogenies.

“Whilst phylogenetics remains the ‘gold standard’ for understanding the viral ancestry, these machine learning methods can accommodate several orders of magnitude more sequences than the current phylogenetic methods and at a low computational cost.”

The paper, commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) and published in , builds on research already completed by both institutions during the pandemic which demonstrated that ethnic minority groups were disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

The paper brings together all of the available evidence, along with international experts in the field, to summarise why people from ethnic minority groups were more likely to be infected and die during the pandemic.

Researchers highlighted that ethnic minority groups were more likely to be exposed to those who were infectious with COVID-19 because a high proportion were employed in key worker roles, making it more likely that they would themselves become infected. They also showed that certain ethnic minority groups were more likely to die once infected due to barriers in receiving adequate healthcare, such as delayed diagnosis and treatment due to job insecurity and financial issues, and in some cases language barriers.

In addition, the research showed they were more likely to suffer from social and economic consequences – for example the inability to isolate once infected and in some cases the lack of adequate healthcare to meet their needs.

The authors state that ethnic minority groups were disadvantaged from the start due to longstanding health inequities caused by systemic racism and racial discrimination. Furthermore, the reasons for ethnic inequities in COVID-19 infection, severe disease and death are interconnected.

The paper aims to provide a blueprint for policymakers and researchers to address these inequities so that they can be better prepared for future pandemics.

It states that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to intervention does not work and that cultural, social and language barriers must be overcome along with other socio-economic issues.

“This framework is the first of its kind to specifically address inequities during a pandemic,” said Dr Daniel Pan from the University of Leicester, the paper’s co-lead author who is a specialist registrar in Infectious Diseases and General Internal Medicine and a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Doctoral Research Fellow. “The recommendations aim to ensure ethnic inequalities in treatment do not occur in future.

“The COVID-19 pandemic won’t be the last and steps need to be taken now to reduce the inevitable consequences of the next pandemic on ethnic minority groups. We know that innovative approaches are required but if we plan for these, they can be overcome.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and amplified health inequalities for ethnic minority groups,” said Professor of Clinical Infectious Diseases Manish Pareek from the University of Leicester, the paper’s senior author.

“It is important that we learn lessons from the pandemic and this work, in collaboration with international experts and the WHO, provides guidance on how to reduce the disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups for future pandemics.”

The briefing was also written by Professor James Nazroo and Dr Patricia Irizar of ����Vlog�ٷ�, as well as Dr Richard Shaw of the University of Glasgow. It draws on a longer article published in , and is part of a by the Runnymede Trust and the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) on the impact of COVID-19 on people from ethnic minority groups.

About the Economic and Social Research Council 

The Economic and Social Research Council () is part of UK Research and Innovation (), a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. We fund world-leading research, data and post-graduate training in the economic, behavioural, social and data sciences to understand people and the world around us. Our work helps raise productivity, address climate change, improve public services and generate a prosperous, inclusive, healthy and secure society.  

The paper is available to view in .

US-based biotechnology company Gritstone bio, Inc. in collaboration with ����Vlog�ٷ� and today (4 January 2022) reveal the initial phase one clinical data shows the vaccine has strong levels of neutralizing antibodies, similar to approved mRNA vaccines, but at up to a 10-fold lower dose in the first 10 individuals.

Results also show the vaccine, which is being trialled with the anticipated involvement of 20 people aged 60 and over, who were in good health and previously received two doses of AstraZeneca's first-generation COVID-19 vaccine was generally safe and well-tolerated.

Part of Gritstone’s CORAL program, the compound is a self-amplifying mRNA second generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccine – or samRNA for short – which delivers antigens from both spike and non-spike proteins.

The samRNA vaccine also produced broad CD8+ T cell responses against targets from conserved SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and boosted spike-specific T cells.

Based on results, the trial is now being expanded to 120 people, potentially enabling more rapid advancement into a later stage trial.

The trial is taking place within the at Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT). At MFT, the trial is being delivered by the Research and Innovation Vaccine Team. The trial is supported by Health Innovation Manchester.

Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D., Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gritstone, said: “We are thrilled to share that our T cell-enhanced samRNA vaccine from the CORAL program is driving both robust CD8+ T cell responses to a broad array of viral epitopes and strong neutralizing antibody responses to Spike, which we believe validates the potential of our infectious disease platform.

“As we have seen with the Omicron variant, viral surface proteins such as Spike are mutating at a high rate, leaving the immunity provided by Spike-dedicated vaccines vulnerable to variants containing numerous Spike mutations. We designed our COVID-19 vaccines to drive broad CD8+ T cell immunity, an additional key layer of protection against viruses.

“This innovation enables inclusion of a wide array of highly conserved viral epitopes, potentially creating an immune state that may offer more robust clinical protection against current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants and be a first step toward developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine.”

A single 10 µg dose of the CORAL programme’s samRNA vaccine dose administered at least 22 weeks after two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine induced:

• New CD8+ T cell responses across a wide set of non-spike epitopes, including many validated T cell targets in convalescent individuals, demonstrating the potential for variant-proof immunity
• A boost to pre-existing T cell responses to Spike epitopes (assessed by ELISpot) believed to be additive to antibody-based clinical protection conferred by Spike-dedicated vaccines Broad and potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, at levels consistent with published data from higher doses of first-generation mRNA vaccines in a similar clinical context (COV-BOOST study; Munro et al., Lancet 2021)

It also demonstrated a well-tolerated safety profile with no grade 3/4 adverse events or unexpected safety events.

Professor Andrew Ustianowski, an Honorary Clinical Chair at ����Vlog�ٷ� and Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine is Chief Investigator for the study at MFT, which is also the chief site.

Professor Ustianowski, who is also National Clinical Lead for the NIHR COVID Vaccine Research Programme said: “These initial data with Gritstone’s innovative samRNA COVID program strongly support its unique approach of CD8+ T cell priming and potent neutralizing antibody generation with a dose of samRNA potentially up to 10-fold lower than that required for first generation mRNA vaccines.

“We are excited to announce the expansion of the footprint of this trial from an initial 20 people to 120 and are looking forward to continuing this work with Gritstone in the clinical development of this promising next generation, T cell enhanced COVID-19 vaccine.

“It is increasingly apparent that a focus on T cell immunity is an important way to generate the robust and durable immunity that may prevent future SARS-CoV-2 variants from causing severe disease, hospitalisation, and death.”

He added: “We know the immune response to first generation vaccines can wane, particularly in older people. Coupled with the prevalence of emerging variants, there is a clear need for continued vigilance to keep COVID-19 at bay.

“We believe this vaccine, as a booster, will elicit strong, durable, and broad immune responses, which may well be likely to be critical in maintaining protection of this vulnerable elderly population who are particularly at risk of hospitalisation and death.”

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity data for additional cohorts is anticipated in coming months.

The study, published in the journal , was conceived and conducted at The University Manchester and led by Ling Tan, a visiting scientist at the . The team started with 158 studies that were published early in the pandemic using data before November 2020.

Because many viral respiratory diseases show seasonal cycles, weather conditions could affect the spread of COVID-19. Although many studies tried to examine this possible link, their results were often inconsistent.

Tan performed meta-regression analysis on the data from previously published articles to make sense of this large body of data derived from locations all around the world, using inconsistent research methods, and using a variety of different datasets with varying study quality. The results were exceptionally revealing.

From this large dataset, the team found several principal findings, including that 80 of the 158 studies did not state the time lag between infection and reporting, rendering these studies ineffective in determining the weather–COVID-19 relationship.

The data also showed Asian countries had more positive associations for air temperature than other regions, possibly because the temperature was undergoing its seasonal increase from winter to spring during the rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in these countries showing how correlation does not necessarily imply causation. Higher solar energy was also associated with reduced COVID-19 spread, regardless of statistical analysis method and geographical location.

Lead author Ling Tan said: “The public generally believes that there is a negative relationship between temperature and COVID-19, such as the higher the temperature, the slower the spread of the pandemic. However, previous studies did not consistently get this result. We found two reasons for this. First, most of these studies use a simple analysis approach called linear regression, which would produce a straight line for all temperatures. But, the stability of the virus may be maximum at moderate temperatures, for example; very low and very high temperatures may make the virus inactive, for which linear regression would be an inappropriate analysis.”

“Second, the rapid outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in some countries in the early stages would overwhelm the more subtle weather effects. Thus, we recommend that future studies use nonlinear regression models to capture the association between weather and COVID-19."

Professor David Schultz, who was a co-author on the study said: "What was most surprising to me was that over half of the studies we examined (80 out of 158) did not say that they accounted for the time lag between the weather on the day the people were infected and the day when their COVID-19 illness was reported. We know this could be as much as two weeks. Thus, these studies were either poorly designed or poorly communicated. Thus, we had to throw these studies out of further analysis because we couldn’t trust their results.”

The results from the meta-regression analysis surprised the researchers who began to see links with sunlight on the virus spread. “We were able to show across these remaining 78 studies that higher solar energy was associated with reduced COVID-19 spread, regardless of statistical analysis method and the geographical location of the study, possibly due to the benefits of ultraviolet radiation and vitamin D on reducing COVID-19 spread or because sunlight inactivates the virus.” said Professor Schultz.

This research also suggests best practices that should be considered in future studies of disease and weather conditions.

A link to the full article can be found here:

Researchers from (MIB), led by Professor Nicholas Turner, Dr Sarah Lovelock and Professor Anthony Green, have developed an efficient biocatalytic manufacturing route to Molnupiravir. Experimental work was led by Dr Ashleigh Burke who developed a new enzyme, cytidine aminotransferase, to allow the production of a key Molnupiravir intermediate.

The unique approach of the Manchester team is currently being further developed with industrial partners at multi-Kg scale to enable adoption by generic pharmaceutical manufacturers at large scale.

Professor Anthony Green said: “We are hopeful that our work will contribute to the challenge of developing a low-cost manufacturing route to Molnupiravir to allow the widest possible access to this promising COVID-19 therapy.”

The research undertaken by ����Vlog�ٷ� team has been to allow pharmaceutical manufacturers around the world to take advantage of this development.

Sterling Pharma Solutions, a pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), has been engaged to support scale-up development and manufacturing activities utilising the novel enzyme developed by the Manchester team. Sterling’s CEO, Kevin Cook, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working in partnership will all those involved to help improve global access to what looks to be a very promising, life-saving treatment.”

In order to maximise the impact of the new enzyme technology, Prozomix Ltd, a biocatalyst discovery and contract manufacturing organisation (CMO), will employ foundation funds to produce high-quality cytidine aminotransferase and distribute it globally free-of-charge. Any company can obtain a sample by emailing Molnupiravir@prozomix.com.

Prozomix's Managing Director, Professor Simon Charnock, said: "Establishing a new and widely employable biocatalytic route for an API has arguably never been as urgent, we feel most privileged to play our part in this collaboration."

The University has been working hard to help students get home this term with our rapid COVID-19 testing offer, safe travel arrangements and support for those staying here over the Christmas break. Students have been able to attend rapid testing sites which were constructed and staffed in less than 2 weeks on campus in order to facilitate save travel home for the Christmas Break. Along with our students this capability was also offered to students of the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester College and University Academy 92.

From on-campus testing sites the University is now assisting Manchester City Council and Tameside Borough Council by offering testing booths for in-situ testing in the community and care home visitors.

Steve Jordan, Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities said: “Following successful completion of pre-Christmas student testing, we are delighted to be able to facilitate the re-use of some of our testing booths by Manchester City Council and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. We see this as important of supporting our local communities in these challenging times and keeping everyone safe.”

Following Christmas we recommend that students get tested while at home and then book testing on campus for when you arrive, unless you need to self-isolate. Testing is just part of the solution to coronavirus, so please continue to follow the Hands, Face, Space rules.

Newly developed biosensor devices linked to smartphones could help medical practitioners dramatically cut down the real-time detection rates in the battle against COVID-19 and other future viral outbreaks.

Scientists and engineers from ����Vlog�ٷ� have created a novel Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) platform to aid biosensor devices to detect biological species and help control the spread of virus outbreaks. The approach could help track and trace people with infection while a vaccine breakthrough could still be many months away.

Various global strategies are in place across the world to help curb the spread of COVID-19, with a coordinated effort involving; population modelling, face mask usage and developing ventilator capacity. Modelling and simulation experts at ����Vlog�ٷ� have now developed an additional tool.

Findings published in the prestigious , demonstrate a novel numerical platform as a new design for biosensor devices. This new system simulates the performance of electronic devices in different design and operating conditions to improve contact tracing within the population.

This breakthrough would allow for the integration of biosensors to existing smartphones with the potential ability to improve the speed and reliability of the existing contact tracing system. It would also help to contain any other virus-related disasters and pandemics in the future through the same method.

Biosensors are one of the most effective ways for detection of a biological species and controlling its spread The biosensors works via targeted molecules causing chemical reactions with biological recognition element on the surface of the biosensor. Transducer transforms the biomolecule-analyte interaction into a measurable optical or electrical signal. These systems decrease the sample of reagent consumptions, shorten the time of experiments, and reduce the overall costs of applications.

D Amir Keshmiri, from ����Vlog�ٷ� said: “This new competitive numerical platform simulates the performance of these specific devices in different design and operating conditions, which in turn will broaden our insight into the biological species manipulation in order to improve the efficiency of the existing designs.

“While developing an effective vaccine can take months up to years, detection of infected individuals is at the forefront of controlling the situation and a crucial tool in the ‘Contact Tracing’ strategy, currently in use in the UK and most other countries. ‘Time’ is a key parameter in containing highly pathogenic diseases and defeating a pandemic.

“These lab-on-a-chip devices are suitable for daily tests and are user-friendly, meaning no laboratory facilities are needed. These features make them a favourable real time detection system, however, designing a reliable one is still very challenging and time-consuming.”

The researcher behind these findings is Miss , whose PhD was funded by the ‘Exceptional Women in Engineering (EWE)’ Scheme in the (MACE). She said: “Using my passion and expertise in computational fluid dynamics to contribute to a global challenge was my dream coming true. This was only made possible thanks to EWE, giving me with a life-time opportunity to work on the exciting projects and with the help and support from my supervisors, Dr Jabbari and Dr Keshmiri.”

At ����Vlog�ٷ�, our people are working together and with partners from across society to understand coronavirus (COVID-19) and its wide-ranging impacts on our lives.

Researchers, teachers, students and professional service staff are combining their knowledge to contribute to the local, national and international response to the disease.

A major scientific study has been launched to understand the risks of COVID-19 transmission on public transport such as buses and trains and to identify the best measures to control it.

The investigation run by collaborative UK universities, with support from the and several transport organisations, will involve taking air and surface samples on parts of the transport network to measure background levels of the coronavirus.

Led by , researchers from several institutions including ����Vlog�ٷ� will develop detailed simulations of the way the virus could potentially spread through airflow, from touching contaminated surfaces and from being close to someone infected with the virus.

The study will create models that will quantify the level of risk faced by passengers and transport staff – and that will help Government and transport operators decide if additional mitigation measures are needed, particularly when passenger numbers begin to return to the levels seen prior to the pandemic.

Known as Project TRACK (Transport Risk Assessment for Covid Knowledge), the study will conduct fieldwork on buses and trains in London, Leeds and Newcastle, including the light-rail system in Tyne and Wear. 

TRACK co-investigator Dr Ian Hall, from the at ����Vlog�ٷ� and a participant of SAGE, the Government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies, believes this is a critical gap in the knowledge base on disease transmission.

He said: “Disease transmission models rely on basis of social contact network and we have an understanding of mixing at home and work but social mixing and strength of contact in other settings are less well understood.”

Professor Phil Blythe, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Transport, said: “The transport industry has been doing a brilliant job keeping public transport COVID-secure for its workers and passengers throughout the pandemic.  

“We need to deepen our understanding of COVID transmission in public transport and keep applying the latest science to our work across the network to reduce transmission – studies like this one will help do just that.

"Evidence gained from TRACK will help inform policy decisions and the development of effective and well-informed control strategies. This scientific study, involving some of the country's leading experts, will be useful not just for transport, but also to other sectors in the fight against COVID-19.”

The research is funded by a £1.6 million grant from UK Research and Innovation.

Project TRACK

The scientist leading the study is Professor Cath Noakes, an expert in the transmission of pathogens inside buildings, based in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds.

Professor Noakes said: “Scientists are unclear how much the virus spreads in the enclosed space of a train or bus, and whether it is from particles in the air or from touching contaminated surfaces or by being near an infected person.  

“This research will plug a knowledge gap. It will allow transport operators to identify the most important risks and devise ways they can further reduce the risks of passengers getting COVID-19.” 

TRACK will analyse the movement and behaviour of people as they pass through transport systems: where they sit or stand, what surfaces they touch, and how close they may be to other travellers and for how long.

The researchers hope to measure the effectiveness of new interventions such as anti-viral coatings on high-touch surfaces, ultraviolet air-disinfection units on buses and trains, and cleaning compounds. 

Under existing legislation, people using public transport are required to wear a face covering, unless exempt. In addition, they are encouraged to keep a social distance of at least one metre and to wash their hands after travelling.

The modelling and data analysis will involve experts from the universities of Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.  

Environmental sampling of the virus will be undertaken by Public Health England. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London will investigate the analysis of airflows inside carriages.

University staff and frontline medical workers have combined to design and test a new type of respirator to keep healthcare professionals safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff in the Intensive Care Unit at Wythenshawe Hospital, part of (MFT) have developed , a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR), to keep healthcare workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This simple and low-cost device consists of a reusable collar that sits around the neck and a single-use plastic hood that can be easily recycled. The collar contains a fan to draw in air through a virus filter and deliver a cooling airflow around the face.

Bubble PAPR has been designed to be compatible with stringent infection control practices and be comfortable to wear for the duration of a shift in the ICU, or other high-risk areas. The wearer’s face is clearly visible, improving critical communication between staff and vastly improving the patient experience.

Dr Brendan McGrath, Intensive Care Consultant at Wythenshawe Hospital, has been the clinical lead through the development and testing process. He said: “We have tested Bubble PAPR and we know it performs its primary function which is to protect staff against inhalation of airborne viruses.

“We have also now tested it in the simulated clinical environment. The reaction from staff has been overwhelmingly positive: they saw something that was not restrictive on their face, that allowed them to communicate with their colleagues, that was pleasant to wear and will allow them to interact with their patients.”

The Bubble PAPR is part of an ongoing collaboration between MFT, Designing Science and ����Vlog�ٷ� to identify unmet clinical needs and work collaboratively to develop new solutions.

Patrick Hall, MD of Designing Science, added: “Most current PAPRs are re-purposed industrial devices, not designed for clinical use and expensive. We have taken a user centred design approach to engineer and develop the Bubble PAPR to be as simple as possible while meeting key functional and ergonomic requirements.

"This means it can be easily and cheaply manufactured in large volumes so it can be made available right across the healthcare system, wherever clinical and support staff are interacting with patients who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 or other serious infections.”

Dr Glen Cooper, Program Director for Mechanical Engineering Design, , ����Vlog�ٷ�, said: “The Bubble PAPR is both ergonomically and mechanically the right product to meet the need to protect NHS staff during the COVID crisis and beyond.”

A patent has been filed and the development team are now working with manufacturing partners to produce Bubble PAPR in large volumes and signing up distribution partners. The aim is to have Bubble PAPR widely available for front line staff, before the end of 2020.

Today (Friday 28 August) sees the launch of the new UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC), which aims to answer key questions on how the immune system interacts with SARS-CoV-2 to help us fight COVID-19 and develop better diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.

Identifying how the immune system responds to SARS-CoV-2 is critical to understanding so many of the unknowns around this novel virus – for example, why does it make some people sick and not others, what constitutes effective immunity and how long might that immunity last? The immune system is extremely complex and to make rapid and effective progress in our knowledge, a cohesive, nationally co-ordinated approach is required.

To address this need, the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium has received £6.5million of funding over 12 months from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the largest immunology grant awarded to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. UK-CIC aims to deliver meaningful benefit for public health by providing insights critical for improving patient management, developing new therapies, assessing immunity within the population and developing diagnostics and vaccines.

Professor Tracy Hussell, Theme Lead for UK-CIC, from ����Vlog�ٷ� said: “The immune system is one of the most complicated systems in the human body but understanding how it reacts during and after infection with SARS-CoV-2 is critical to our ability to control this pandemic.

“This immune system response not only dictates how quickly you can clear the virus but also how sick you will get, as well as how long any immunity generated to the virus might last. The UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium wants to look at what happens on a cellular and molecular level when someone contracts COVID-19 and find out what exactly their immune system is doing. We will work with colleagues around the country to build our understanding of how different people react to COVID-19 with the ultimate aim of improving patient care at all levels.”

The UK-CIC aims to answer five key questions that will help the global coronavirus response.

1. Why do people experience different symptoms to COVID-19 and what role does the immune system play in this?
2. What constitutes immunity to COVID-19 and how long does it last?
3. How does the immune system respond to SARS-CoV-2 on a molecular and cellular level and what happens when the immune system overreacts?
4. Can infection with other mild coronaviruses (which cause the common cold) protect you from catching COVID-19 or will it make you more ill?
5. How does SARS-CoV-2 hide from the immune system?

Prof Hussell and a team from across the UK will be investigating the nature of COVID-19 infection outside hospital. They will be asking why many people have been infected but show no symptoms, while others have manageable symptoms which do not need hospitalisation.

A second strand of the work will consolidate and generate genetic data from people who have had the disease, with the help of Prof Magnus Rattray Professor Computational and Systems Biology from ����Vlog�ٷ�. The work will allow the researchers to identify biological risk according to gender, ethnicity and deprivation and other factors. And a final strand of the work will be to test the immune system and how it responds to the virus.

Prof Hussell added: “The UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium is an unprecedented opportunity to understand this disease and build effective ways of treating it. We hope the public will come forward so we may examine their biology and learn from what has happened to them. Details of how to day that will be publishing in the coming weeks.

“We will be particularly interested in people who have tested positive but have had no symptoms, though we would also be happy to work with members of the public who have not been diagnosed with Covuid-19.

“Different institutions and the public are coming together to take this research forwards and we are excited at the prospect of making great strides in the fight against this disease.”

UK-CIC is jointly funded by UKRI and NIHR as part of their rolling call for research proposals on COVID-19. It is supported by the British Society for Immunology. The aims of UK-CIC were developed from the set out in May 2020 by the Academy of Medical Sciences and British Society for Immunology expert taskforce on immunology and COVID-19.

A world-leading materials expert from ����Vlog�ٷ� is helping to launch a new global task force to drive innovation in digital health to combat pandemics like COVID-19 – and ambitious outputs could eventually include building ‘smart cities’ that feature anti-virus defences.

Professor Henry Yi Li, Chair of Textile Science and Engineering at ����Vlog�ٷ�, is a co-founder of the International Digital Health and Intelligent Fibre Science and Technology Innovation Organization (IDH-IF-STIO) to be spotlighted at a global summit this week (July 10). 

The group is looking to fast-track developments in ground-breaking areas like advanced PPEs, smart materials and wearable technologies that could potentially be plugged into wider health and bio-security systems as part of digitally connected ‘smart cities’ to help safeguard communities of the future.

“The purpose of this new group is to promote international collaboration in science and technology innovations for combating global pandemics such as COVID-19,” explained Professor Yi Li.

“Specifically, we would be looking to address global health challenges that have been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the fields of intelligent fibres, textile functional materials, electronic textile materials and wearable devices, as well as digital health technology that can be applied to disease prevention.”

Professor Yi Li added that the new research and innovation group will focus on key, interrelated themes, including:

• smart materials (ie electronic fibre/yarn/fabric), micro/nano electronic technology, bio-security technology (ie hazard perception) and smart wearables
• applications to support smart homes and smart cities, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the prevention of infectious and non-communicable diseases.
• research and development of disease prevention and control system, public health systems, and pandemic emergency mechanism systems in medical and health institutions.

To progress research in these exciting areas the IDH-IF-STIO is planning to organise a range of international activities, including hosting regular scientific and technological cooperation forums and platforms, running international academic conferences, as well as setting up international committees for academic and technical professionals.

The proposed new network will be introduced at the on Friday, July 10 which will have the theme ‘Combating COVID-19 Pandemic with Science and Technology Innovations’.

Professor Yi Li will also be a keynote speaker at the online symposium and his talk will be entitled ‘Combating COVID-19 pandemic with science and technology innovations’.

Professor Yi Li is an expert across the biomaterials field – including smart functional fibres, nano functional textile materials, wearable devices, tissue engineering and nanoscale drug delivery systems – and has led on innovation to develop and produce PPE equipment in response to pandemics.

The International Digital Health and Intelligent Fibre Science and Technology Innovation Organization (IDH-IF-STIO) is supported by over 20 universities, organisations and enterprises across Europe and Asia, including State Key Laboratory of Fiber Material Modification, Donghua University, China; State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Textile Materials and Products, Department of Materials, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Xi'an Polytechnic University, China; ENSAIT, France; Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Society (TBIS), United Kingdom.

A team of innovative engineers from ����Vlog�ٷ� responded to a call from frontline NHS medics – by making it safer and easier for them to use life-saving non-invasive ventilator machines to support critically ill patients suffering from COVID-19 disease.

Dr Andrew Weightman from Manchester’s is part of a taskforce that has supported clinicians working in the intensive care unit at Wythenshawe Hospital, a major acute teaching hospital and part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

Within just two weeks of a call for help Dr Weightman and a team of medical and technical colleagues had designed, validated and delivered a brand new component using 3D printing technology that was helping patients and staff. The breakthrough innovation could now be made available to other hospitals.

The challenge they faced was focused on non-Invasive ventilation (NIV) machines used by the hospital during the COVID-19 crisis. These devices deliver pressurised oxygen at high flows via a face mask and support patients who might otherwise need to be sedated and placed onto invasive ventilators - often referred to as ‘life support’ machines.

The non-invasive ventilators use high oxygen pressures and flows and are designed to have a controlled leak out via the ‘vented’ face masks. 

“This creates two problems,” explained Dr Weightman. “Firstly, it consumes a large volume of oxygen - about 60 to 80 litres per minute – which is a concern as hospital oxygen supplies are a limited resource in the current crisis.

“Secondly, the high flow rates mean the treatment rooms are quickly filled with controlled leaked air potentially carrying the airborne virus - so these areas need to be sealed off; and this requires the use of many small rooms which in turn creates a very labour intensive environment for medical and nursing staff and may increase the risks of staff exposure to the virus.”

, a Reader in Medical Mechatronics at the University of Manchester who coordinated the project, said: “Working in partnership with and at Wythenshawe hospital, we realised that the solution to this problem was to convert the existing vented face mask into a sealed system. This modification allows the devices to operate at much lower oxygen flows and almost eliminates the potential for aerosolising the virus during routine use.”

The challenge to rapidly design and implement the solution was taken up by a team of technical colleagues at ����Vlog�ٷ�; Eddie Whitehouse, Andy Wallwork, Rachel Saunders and Polly Greensmith. They came up with a bespoke adaptor to fit at the bottom of the face mask, 3D printing critical parts to convert into a potentially life-saving system for use by the sickest patients during the pandemic.

Dr Weightman, added: “We have an excellent technical services team at the University and if it wasn’t for their expertise and experience we wouldn’t have been able to develop a solution so quickly.

“The strong links we have with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust enabled us to assess the solution from an infection control perspective and gain rapid approval. As a team we all wanted to do something to support the people working in the NHS and the patients they are treating.

“And it also worth recognising that there were many other University colleagues who enabled us to do our work. For example, our security and health and safety teams who have enabled us to safely be on campus to print the new parts.”

Dr Weightman is part of an organisation called (MIMIT) which provide the network to engage with front line hospital staff in Manchester.

“A large part of my research has been driven by unmet healthcare needs and MIMIT is a fantastic organisation that has really demonstrated its importance during this crisis,” added Dr Weightman.

Can you fit 6 kilograms into your school bag and lift it up? That’s the equivalent weight of greenhouse gas emissions caused by producing the food each person eats in one day, on average. 

A group of University-based researchers are sharing free online content for children to learn about how food contributes to climate change. Each week day in June they are putting out new materials aimed at 7 to 14 year olds, including videos, activity worksheets and interviews with experts. They will also be answering questions and showcasing the work sent in by children.

The team won a place at the Summer Science Exhibition 2019, and since then they have been spreading fun facts around the world, from Brazil to India. The programme is encouraging scientific creativity from home during a time when many pupils are unable to attend their schools due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The worksheets are available one week in advance, so schools can include them in their “learning from home” content, and at 12 noon Monday to Friday each day of June families can make and eat their lunch while chewing on some food for thought from the Take a Bite out of Climate Change team.

The video from the first day kicked off asking questions about how food compares with other contributions to climate change. It raised awareness that food contributes a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and this can be reduced by eating more vegetables and beans as well as less meat and dairy.

Professor Sarah Bridle, ����Vlog�ٷ�, is the Take a Bite out of Climate Change team lead and part of the partnership. “With COVID-19, we’re all thinking about food more than ever before, and we’re more aware than ever before about how dependent we humans are on the natural world” said Bridle. 

“We’ve had such fun over the past year talking with school students and other members of the public about the impact of food on climate change, and we wanted to bring something online, that people can easily do at home.

“These resources come at an ideal time for schools,” says Zoe Woffenden, a primary school teacher in Stockport, who has been advising on the project. “The children are asking lots of questions about climate change and what they can do about it, and it’s great to be able to connect them with experts from universities across the UK to consider how different foods contribute.”

Each week launches with a 3 minute video introducing members of the team and the theme for the week. The team has recorded videos talking through the worksheets, which will be available each Tuesday. Kids can learn from interviews with experts on Wednesdays. On Thursdays, the team will be answering questions sent in via Twitter, Instagram and email, and Fridays will be a showcase of what people came up with at home.

“In this first week, we’re putting the climate impact of food in the context of other emissions and comparing them to driving a petrol car,” says Bridle. “Before heading over to the farm to learn about emissions from animals and fertilizer in the second week. Then in week 3, we’ll talk about transporting food by ship and air, as well as packaging. Finally, we’ll focus on decisions we make at home about what to eat, and food waste, in the last week of June.” 

Throughout the month you’ll hear from a range of different scientists who are passionate about the potential for making the world a better place through learning and sharing information on food and climate change. “I changed my career direction from astrophysics to this topic because, when we stop burning fossil fuels, food will be the biggest contributor to climate change” says Bridle. “I love talking with people about it because it’s such a lightbulb moment, when people realise there’s so much they can do to make a difference. This period of home-learning is a fantastic opportunity to engage with children, who are the future of our planet, and hopefully stimulate them to discuss with their families how to make a better future for everyone.”

“Changing our diets is important from so many perspectives.’’ says Prof Tim Benton, who is Research Director for emerging risks at The Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House in London. “In 2019, the School Strikes for Climate had a major role in raising the priority of climate change with world leaders, meanwhile COVID-19 has created a huge shock, but is an example of the sort of problem climate change will throw at us increasingly in the years ahead. As we invest in recovering from COVID-19 we must introduce measures to cut emissions and incentivise climate-friendly behaviours, including around food choices. To achieve that, we need the public demanding changes from politicians, which is where projects like this one are so important.”

Find out more and sign up to the Take a Bite out of Climate Change mailing list here:  

Take a Bite out of Climate Change has been funded and supported by ����Vlog�ٷ�, N8 AgriFood, the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Food Network+, and a Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund award. The team works in partnership with N8 AgriFood, LEAP, the LSHTM Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health.

A new coalition of more than 500 scientists from around the world has been created to share data on COVID-19 gleaned from the use of mass spectrometry techniques which examine people’s blood and other biomarkers.

Announced in the Lancet today, and coordinated from ����Vlog�ٷ�, is made up of many of the world’s leading mass spectrometry experts who will work together to look at the ways in which the novel coronavirus is present in patients’ blood and examine in detail how the virus is structured.

The aim is to refine testing approaches, stratify treatment options, determine isolation requirements and bring much needed speed into measurement aspects of novel therapeutic development programmes – for COVID-19 and future threats.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is able to measure molecules that change in a patient’s blood as the infection takes hold. It can be used to find out what they are, and how many of them there are.

These measurements provide precise and reproducible diagnostic data at the molecular level that can complement information from genomic studies.

The coalition partners are also looking for biomarkers that will determine how a given individual will respond to the virus. These allow hospital labs to predict the outcome of the disease and to target treatment accordingly. By finding the biological pathways that alter as the disease takes hold, and considering genetic risk factors, mass spectrometry will provide crucial evidence as to why people respond differently.

Mass spectrometry will be also be able to help develop effective treatments by targeted studies that measure the decrease in these markers.

The researchers will also attempt to define the precise structure of the viral spike protein and other antigens. Mass spectrometry is the only method that can map the complex sugar network that coats the surface of the viral spike protein and the human receptor.

Coalition partners are working to see which parts of the virus are involved in the interaction with cells, and how this interaction allows the virus to open and drop the infective RNA into the human host. This detailed mapping of the interaction is vital in the development of vaccines, designed to be a weaker form of the virus.

Professor Perdita Barran, Director of the Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, at ����Vlog�ٷ�, was inspired along with her colleague Professor Clare Mills to develop the coalition, when her labs were closed during March.

Professor Barran said: “By cooperating in this way, the scientists working in the coalition will have access to many more sources of data from around the world. We will be pooling our expertise and we believe we will be able to work much faster and have an impact on a range of priorities; from testing, to treatment and vaccination.”

Our people are also  and with partners from across society to understand coronavirus (COVID-19) and its wide-ranging impacts on our lives.  to support the University’s response to coronavirus or visit the University’s  to lend a helping hand.

A University of Manchester academic has helped Manchester City Council (MCC) coordinate and test thousands of pieces Personal protection Equipment (PPE) so that they could be delivered to key workers in the city.

MCC has received approximately 150,000 pieces of PPE via companies and donations from across city. But before the equipment could be distributed, the Council needed to check that it was suitable for use by key workers who needed PPE to continue to work despite the Covid19 virus.

This meant testing samples of pieces equipment in an extremely short space of time so that the PPE could be delivered to those on the frontline as quickly as possible. That is when Council contacted the University and, more specifically, Dr Obuks Ejohwomu who is Director Commercial Project Management in the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

From the Council’s speculative e-mail on the evening of Easter Saturday, Dr Ejohwomu, who is a Lecturer in Project Management, was able to organise video conferences, e-mails, physical testing and a wrap-up video conference all in under eight calendar days.

Dr Ejohwomu led a team of experts from across Manchester, Coventry and Brighton Universities to achieve the rapid turnaround. The teams worked over the Easter Bank Holiday to deliver comparative tests using existing equipment and modified test rigs to help understand the 150,000 uncertified PPEs the Council had received.

Dr Ejohwomu said: “The success of this project has in no small part been due to the deployment of invaluable project management knowledge that is most suitable for managing unknown unknowns at a time of disruption. This has contributed to MCC’s ability to correctly and suitably equip workers across a spectrum of roles with the masks they require.”

Barney Harle, Head of Major Projects at Manchester City Council, said: “I have never been prouder to work with a group of academic contacts than on this occasion. The way in which Obuks brought together a quality team of enlightened and enthusiastic fellow researchers and practitioners was outstanding.”

Professor Martin Schröder, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, added: “I’m delighted our Faculty was able to help the City Council and our health workers. Many congratulations and thanks to Obuks. I am so proud of the staff in the Faculty and Obuks in particular. He is a star!”

����Vlog�ٷ� has a growing list of scientists and academics who are either working on aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak or can make a valuable contribution to the national discourse. Please check out our . 

Our people are also  and with partners from across society to understand coronavirus (COVID-19) and its wide-ranging impacts on our lives.  to support the University’s response to coronavirus or visit the University’s  to lend a helping hand.

Traffic pollution for most parts of the UK is plummeting thanks to the COVID-19 lockdown but more urban ozone – a dangerous air pollutant which can cause airway inflammation in humans - is probably being generated, say experts from ����Vlog�ٷ�.

The analysis was led by Hugh Coe, Professor of Atmospheric Composition, plus air pollution expert Dr James Allan from Manchester’s Department of . Their findings have been submitted in response to a call for evidence from the government’s (Defra).

According to Manchester research, levels of nitrogen oxides have shown reduction in most locations in the UK during mid-March and April when lockdown has been in full force – but the level of decline ranges from of 20 to 80 percent.

Manchester’s city centre, for example, has seen a 70 per cent reduction in nitrogen oxides.

This drop can be attributed to the recent impact to traffic on the nation’s roads, either private cars or public transport, as citizens were advised to stay at home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“However, there is considerable site-to-site variability with some locations showing far less reduction than others,” said Professor Coe. “In fact, a small number of sites have even shown a modest increase, for example in parts of Edinburgh.

“Whether this is due to changes in the number or type of vehicles now travelling in that particular area, changes in driving patterns or other causes is not clear but the reductions are certainly not uniform.”

For example, levels of nitrogen oxides fall less in rural areas than urban areas; and they are higher in the morning than compared to later in the day. Unlike NO2, there was no evidence of a decrease in PM2.5 - tiny particulates that can make the air appear hazy.

“While these particle are produced by vehicles, they are also known to originate from domestic wood burning and chemical reactions involving emissions from industry and agriculture, so there has been no significant improvement in air quality in that regard,” said Professor Coe.

At the same time, the Manchester team speculate that photochemical production of ozone may become more important in urban areas during summertime in these low NOx conditions.

This is an important finding because while ozone is extremely important for screening harmful solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation when present higher up in the atmosphere - it can be a dangerous air pollutant at the Earth's surface. Increasing surface ozone above natural levels is harmful to humans, plants, and other living systems because ozone reacts strongly to destroy or alter many biological molecules.

“Ozone is a strong oxidant and induces a range of health effects such as throat irritation and airway inflammation. It can reduce lung function and as a result worsens diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. In addition to human health impacts, ozone reduces plant growth and hence agricultural yields and chemically ages a wide range of polymers,” explained Professor Coe

He added: “Observations in cities across the UK show marked decreases in nitrogen oxides but with corresponding increases in ozone during lockdown.”

As nitrogen oxides reduce then photochemical production may well become more efficient and can lead to higher ozone concentrations in summertime as higher temperatures increase emissions of biogenic hydrocarbon from natural sources such as trees. These biogenic hydrocarbons significantly affect urban ozone levels.

As a result of the Manchester research government and local authorities will need to be alert to the potential increase in urban ozone during lockdown.

The Manchester team used the government’s Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN) to help gather their nationwide data and the University’s own Manchester Air Quality Supersite (MAQS), located in Fallowfield on the University campus. The work is carried out through the Manchester Environment Research Institute, which has a theme dedicated to Pollution, Human Health and Wellbeing.

The AURN is the UK's largest automatic monitoring network and it includes automatic air quality monitoring stations measuring oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (including PM10, PM2.5).

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) is a generic term that includes nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and these gases contribute to air pollution, including the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tropospheric ozone.

World-leading Manchester researchers are working towards developing a test for COVID-19 that could be used at home like a domestic pregnancy test.

This prototype test is based on the fact sugars coat all human cells and could be used in the fight to detect infectious agents like coronavirus.

This new screening new approach can help identify the COVID-19 virus - not by its genetic code, which can mutate, but by using its reliance on chains of sugars on human cells, which are constant.

Sugars coat all cells in the human body and they are the first layer a bacteria or virus encounters. Professor Rob Field and his team are interested in how to use the sugars to identify and even block a virus from penetrating the cell – and so preventing further infection.

The simple-to-use testing device has the potential to be used in 'hotspot' communities like frontline NHS staff allowing doctors and nurses to easily test at home to see if they have COVID-19 symptoms or not before going to work.

Communities associated with a building or geographical location which require increased safeguarding such as, hospitals, care homes or workplaces, can quickly test visitors.

Professor Field and his team at ����Vlog�ٷ� are now working at pace with spin-out company to get their new test ready and officially validated ready for the autumn. An autumn launch this year is key, as the application of this screening kit can support diagnoses of 'flu vs coronavirus', given the typical trend of flu season which can initially present similar symptoms.

The tester would be very useful to ensure people with seasonal flu aren't confused with people having suspected COVID-19 and the consequences of having to self-isolate and create a new round of disruption to society and the economy.

Prof Field said: “Our existing prototype product for influenza can detect the virus in less than 20 minutes and could be adapted to identify other pathogens such as coronavirus.

“Respiratory viruses invade the body through cells in the airways and lungs. These cells are covered in a coat of sugar chains, known as glycans, which are used for normal function of human tissues. Viruses can utilise these glycans as part of the infection process.”

This process can also be used in reverse to identify the virus in saliva or nasal fluids, said Professor Field, a world expert in glycoscience at the (MIB) - and his specialist company has developed this diagnostic technique that uses an artificial glycan receptor to capture a virus.

Professor Field added: “Right now, everybody is talking about a vaccine for coronavirus but vaccine development, validation, safety-testing, manufacture, regulatory approval and deployment is a time-consuming process.

“A low-cost, easy to use screening test that can be performed at the point of care would be an ideal way to limit initial disease transmission in the community and at points of entry to hospitals, or at national borders, for instance.

“Current COVID-19 tests are largely based on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that requires a laboratory setting for analysis and relies on prior knowledge of the viral genetic code. This code can change as the virus evolves, potentially limiting the effectiveness of the test.

“The Iceni Diagnostics approach uses glycan recognition, which is unaffected by seasonal variation in the genetic code, and can be offered as a handheld home or field-based test.”

Professor Field and his dedicated team have already developed a series of prototype products that can specifically detect pathogens such as Norovirus and different strains of influenza in less than 20 minutes. The team based at MIB will be working with Iceni Diagnostics to further develop these tests in the coming months.

The hand-held device currently under development uses lateral flow – like a home pregnancy test – to give a simple yes/no answer. It requires no refrigeration and no training, meaning the test is usable in any location, by any person, in order to detect flu or other pathogens.

“The current Iceni Diagnostics products detect a single virus. However, the next generation of diagnostics will enable the detection and discrimination of a series of pathogens that give rise to similar symptoms.

“This would enable, for example, a distinction between flu and COVID-19 in a single sample which increases the versatility and robustness of the diagnosis. Additionally, the way the virus interacts with its glycan receptor makes it seasonally consistent, so, even if the virus genetic code mutates, it will still be detected – meaning the Iceni Diagnostics’ test should remain effective in the longer term.”

Professor Field says that the device under development holds huge promise for changing the way we manage global disease: “This new approach, which is based on host-pathogen glycan recognition could potentially result in a more universal detection technique, crucial in early diagnostics of outbreaks.”

����Vlog�ٷ� has a growing list of scientists and academics who are either working on aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak or can make a valuable contribution to the national discourse. Please checkout our p. 

Our people are also  and with partners from across society to understand coronavirus (COVID-19) and its wide-ranging impacts on our lives.  to support the University’s response to coronavirus or visit the University’s  to lend a helping hand.

An early draft of a study by researchers at Swansea University and ����Vlog�ٷ� shows social distancing and isolation is having significant impacts on people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The study has been submitted for publication to BMJ Open and published online as part of an open science initiative. It found that:

• Social distancing is leading to heightened feelings of anxiety and depression amongst the general public.
• People in low-paid or insecure occupations experienced the greatest impact.
• Some people are fearful they will experience health or social anxiety after the lockdown, while others plan to go back to normal levels of social activity as soon as possible.

The research is being led by Dr. Simon Williams, public health researcher at Swansea University, in collaboration with Dr. Kimberly Dienes and Professor Christopher Armitage of ����Vlog�ٷ�’s Centre for Health Psychology, and Dr Tova Tampe, an independent consultant at the World Health Organization.

The researchers conducted 5 online focus groups from across the United Kingdom in the early stages of the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown.

The groups explored their views and experiences. Even after as little as two weeks, people were struggling with the loss of social interaction.

Dr Williams said: “Remarkable efforts are being made by the public to contain the spread of the COVID-19, and these efforts should continue as long as is necessary. Our study finds many people are really sticking to the guidelines on social distancing. However, it is coming at a significant cost to people’s mental health and wellbeing, particularly those in low-paid or insecure jobs.

“A rapid response is necessary in terms of public health programming to mitigate these mental health impacts. Waiting to provide support until after social distancing and isolation measures are relaxed or removed could have potentially devastating and lasting impacts on mental health, especially among those already socially and economically vulnerable”.

Dr Dienes, a clinical and health psychologist, said: “One of the key themes was a feeling of loss. For some, social distancing has meant a loss of income. For others it has meant a loss of structure and routine as people struggle to balance working from home with childcare. For everyone it has meant a loss of face-to-face social interaction. Our study shows how these physical losses are having a knock-on effect in the form of emotional ‘losses’, such as a loss of self-worth, loss of motivation and a loss of meaning in daily life.”

The study also provides early evidence on how people might behave after the current lockdown ends, something that will influence how much and how quickly COVID-19 will continue to spread.

Dr Williams added: “One of the big stressors for people was the fact they do not know how long the lockdown will last. It is possible that people will be less supportive and less compliant the longer this continues. Although some people are worried they will still be anxious about socializing for some time after the lockdown ends, others are already planning lots of social activities as soon as they are able. Government needs to take this into consideration as they plan their lockdown exit strategy.

A pre-printed draft of the study has been published on medRxiv at: 

A copy of their peer reviewed study published in BMJ Open is now available :

At ����Vlog�ٷ�, our people are working together and with partners from across society to understand coronavirus (COVID-19) and its wide-ranging impacts on our lives. to support the University’s response to coronavirus or visit the University’s  to lend a helping hand.