Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to new ONS stats on deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional: 8 October 2021
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the … read more
expert reaction to study looking at calorie restriction, fasting, and lifespan in mice
A study published in Nature Metabolism suggests that fasting may mediate the beneficial effects of a calorie-restricted diet in mice. … read more
expert reaction to new ONS Coronavirus Infection Survey technical article: Impact of vaccination on testing positive in the UK: October 2021
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released a technical article looking at the impact of vaccination on testing positive in … read more
expert reaction to press release from Valneva giving top line phase 3 results for its inactivated, adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidate VLA2001
The press release from Valneva reports positive phase 3 results for inactivated, adjuvanted COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate VLA2001. This Roundup accompanied … read more
Valneva phase 3 vaccine trial top line results – Q&A with scientists
Valneva has just announced the top line results of its phase 3 trial, Cov-Compare, of its inactivated, adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine … read more
Antarctica and the Southern Ocean – their importance for climate change
The ocean regulates the global climate by absorbing heat and carbon from the atmosphere and storing them in the deep … read more
expert reaction to latest data from the ONS COVID-19 Infection Survey
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released the latest data from their COVID-19 Infection Survey. Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor … read more
expert reaction to news from UKSHA that COVID-19 testing at a private lab has been suspended after NHS Test and Trace investigation
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced that testing at a private lab has been suspended following reports of people … read more
expert reaction to case report of woman with lung cancer who used cannabidiol oil
A case report published in BMJ Case Reports follows a patient who declined conventional treatment and took ‘CBD oil’ as … read more
expert reaction to study looking at statins and risk of death from COVID-19
A study published in PLOS Medicine looks at statins and COVID-19 mortality in Stockholm, Sweden. Prof Tim Chico, Professor … read more
expert reaction to the latest national influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report from UKHSA: 14 October 2021
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest weekly national influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report. Dr Simon … read more
Latest results from the REACT-1 study on COVID-19 prevalence across England
The REACT-1 team from Imperial College London has now completed round 14 of their study looking at virus prevalence across … read more
expert reaction to preprint with results from round 14 of the REACT-1 study on SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in England
A preprint, an unpublished non-peer reviewed study, reports on the latest data from the REACT-1 study on COVID-19 spread across … read more
expert reaction to study looking at lateral flow test accuracy at detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection and infectiousness
A study published in Clinical Epidemiology looks at lateral flow test (LFT) sensitivity. Dr Thomas House, Reader in Mathematical … read more
AMS/RS Climate Change & Health report: tackling climate change mitigation and human health together
Major efforts are needed to mitigate climate change. A new report argues that if the drivers and impacts of climate … read more
expert reaction study looking at mixing mineral and chemical sunscreens and efficacy and toxicology under UV irradiation
A study published in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences suggests mixing chemical sunscreen mixtures with zinc oxide may limit protection against … read more
expert reaction to systematic review and meta-analysis on consumption of dietary fatty acids (alpha linolenic acid) and risk of death
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in The BMJ looks at dietary intake and biomarkers of alpha linolenic acid and … read more
expert reaction to Nature survey on experiences of harassment and abuse of scientists who spoke to the media about COVID-19
A news feature from Nature looks at abuse received by scientists who have spoken to the media during the COVID-19 … read more
expert reaction to systematic review on rates of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)
A systematic review published in JAMA Network Open looks at short-term and long-term rates of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. … read more
expert comments in response to journalists’ questions on reports of lots of colds circulating in the UK at the moment
A few journalists have asked us about the ‘bad colds’ currently circulating in the UK, so here are some comments … read more