Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to ONS stats on deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional: week ending 13 August 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 analysis of climate change and July’s flooding in Europe
A report issued by World Weather Attribution looks at climate change and the heavy rainfall events that lead to severe … read more
expert reaction to the ONS monthly mortality analysis for England and Wales: July 2021
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released their monthly mortality analysis for England and Wales in July 2021. Prof Kevin … 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. Prof James Naismith, Director of … read more
expert reaction to press release from AstraZeneca announcing that the AZD7442 PROVENT Phase III prophylaxis trial met primary endpoint in preventing COVID-19
The press release suggests that AZD7442, a combination of two long-acting antibodies, reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by … read more
expert reaction to MHRA approval of Ronapreve as the first monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 approved for use in the UK
It has been announced today that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has given approval for the first … read more
expert reaction to the latest fortnightly release on the COVID-19 Infection Survey looking at antibody and vaccination data for the UK, 19 August 2021
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released the latest report from the COVID-19 infection survey, looking at antibody and vaccination data … read more
Impact of the delta variant on vaccine effectiveness
There has been a lot of discussion and some concern around the ability of the COVID-19 vaccines to protect against … read more
expert reaction to preprint looking at the impact of the delta variant on vaccine effectiveness
A preprint, an unpublished non-peer reviewed study, looks at the impact of Delta on viral burden and vaccine effectiveness against … read more
expert reaction to the news that NICE have paused the publication of the updated guideline on ME/CFS
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have announced today that they have decided to pause publication of … read more
expert reaction to ONS stats on deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional: week ending 6 August 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 the government’s hydrogen strategy
The government have released the UK’s first-ever hydrogen strategy. Dr Kedar Pandya, Director for Cross-Council Programmes at the Engineering … read more
expert reaction to self-isolation no longer being required for double-jabbed close contacts of COVID-19 cases from Monday
From Monday 16 August, people who are double jabbed or aged under 18 will no longer be legally required to … read more
expert comment about SPI-M-O: Medium-term projections, published today as part of the SAGE document publication process
The latest batch of SAGE documents, including the medium-term projections from SPI-M-O, have been published this afternoon. (Not a … read more
expert reaction to media coverage of Peter Embarek comments in Danish TV documentary about the origins of SARS-CoV-2
Peter Ben Embarek, head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of SARS-CoV-2, featured in … read more
expert reaction to Met Office blog suggesting Europe needs to prepare for temperatures of 50°C in future
An official blog from the Met Office news team suggests that Europe will need to prepare for the possibility of … read more
expert reaction to latest R number and growth rate estimates, published by the government
The government have published the latest estimates for the COVID-19 R number and growth rate. Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus … read more
expert comment on speculation around mental health and autism diagnoses of the man who shot and killed multiple people in Plymouth
There have been several reports speculating over the mental health and/or autism diagnosis of the Plymouth shooting suspect. Prof … read more
expert reaction to study looking at the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and antibody response to variants of concern
A study published in Science looks at durability of Moderna vaccine–induced antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and interest; B.1.1.7 … 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. Prof Sheila Bird, Formerly Programme … read more