Tag Archives: Coronavirus insights

Zania Stamataki, University of Birmingham South Africa has temporarily halted its rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after a preliminary study (not yet released or reviewed by other scientists) found it provided limited protection against the South African coronavirus variant for mild and moderate cases of COVID-19. The variant, which has been found worldwide, has presented challenges for all the available …

simplystocker/Shutterstock Margaret Rayman, University of Surrey and Philip C Calder, University of Southampton If we’re going to rely on COVID-19 vaccines to bring an end to the pandemic, we need to maximise their effects. But one thing that risks undermining their protectiveness is nutritional deficiency, particularly in the elderly. Older people have weaker immune responses and are known to respond …

Rob Reddick, The Conversation As vaccine programmes gather pace worldwide, attention continues to focus on both viral mutations and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine – sometimes simultaneously. South Africa has temporarily halted the vaccine’s rollout. This is because a preliminary study (yet to be released or reviewed by other scientists) suggests that the vaccine provides limited protection against mild to moderate cases …

Lightspring/Shutterstock Christian Yates, University of Bath When I was asked to calculate the total volume of SARS-CoV-2 in the world for the BBC Radio 4 show More or Less, I will admit I had no idea what the answer would be. My wife suggested it would be the size of an Olympic swimming pool. “Either that or a teaspoon,” she …

Veronica Diaz-Cerda, Aston University At first glance, it may seem that the race to acquire COVID-19 vaccines has been won by western nations. But alongside the UK, Canada, USA and EU, another country has also secured a high number of doses relative to its population – Chile. To date Chile has ordered close to 90 million vaccine doses – enough …

Stephen Kissler, University of Cambridge As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, other respiratory illnesses have been unusually quiet this year. Fears of a dangerous influenza and COVID-19 “syndemic” have not come to pass as influenza cases reached some of the lowest rates ever observed. The near absence of the flu might reflect increased rates of vaccination, as seen in the US, …

Shutterstock Vicky Fallon, University of Liverpool; Sergio A. Silverio, King’s College London, and Siân Macleod Davies, Liverpool John Moores University New mothers experienced worryingly high rates of depression and anxiety during the first lockdown, our new research has revealed. One of the major contributing factors to them feeling this way was the psychological impact of social distancing measures. Our study …

Studio Romantic/Shutterstock Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been receiving a lot of attention recently. The EU has been dissatisfied with production hold-ups, while the German health ministry has raised questions over its efficacy in older age groups. As a result, Stiko – the German Standing Committee on Vaccination – has suggested in a draft recommendation …

Studio Romantic/Shutterstock Sarah Pitt, University of Brighton Thanks to the efforts of scientists, healthcare workers and trial participants around the world, a number of COVID-19 vaccines have now been authorised for general use. But while millions have been given a jab, billions still need to be vaccinated. We need to produce as many doses as we can. So, it’s good …

Check your mask for fit, filtration and breathability. Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock Fiona Henriquez, University of the West of Scotland; Mia Cousins Burleigh, University of the West of Scotland, and William MacKay, University of the West of Scotland The emergence of new, potentially more infectious, coronavirus variants has led many people to worry about the effectiveness of their masks in protecting themselves …