Author Archives: Science Media Centre
COVID-19: what role for scientists in a nation full of armchair epidemiologists?
By Fiona Fox This blog contains the thoughts of the author rather than representing the work or policy of the … read more
expert reaction to news that the MHRA has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for mass UK roll out
It has been announced this morning that the UK government has accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare … read more
expert reaction to a study looking at sun exposure and risk of endometriosis
A study published in Reproductive epidemiology looks at sun exposure and risk of endometriosis. Dr Caroline Overton, a consultant … read more
expert comments about immunity passports
Following the comments by Michael Gove this morning and health minister Nadhim Zahawi yesterday, here are some more general comments … read more
expert reaction to preprint from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app looking at vitamin supplements and likelihood of reporting a positive COVID-19 test
A preprint, an unpublished non-peer reviewed study, posted on medRxiv uses data from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app to … read more
expert reaction to ONS data on deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional: week ending 20 November
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 government’s analysis of the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19 and the approach to tiering
The government have recently published their analysis of the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19 and the approach to … read more
expert reaction to vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi’s comments about a system where individuals may require proof of vaccination
The Health minister Nadhim Zahawi, who will oversee rollout of the Covid vaccine in England, has said that hospitality and … read more
expert reaction to study of two blood biomarkers that may predict dementia in those with mild cognitive impairment
A study published in Nature Aging looks at plasma biomarker combinations that may predict risk of cognitive decline and dementia … read more
fifty-year-old science challenge solved with AI
Proteins form the machinery that keep all animals, plants and bacteria alive and well. Inside each of the cells that … read more
expert reaction to study suggesting SARS-CoV-2 may enter central nervous system via the nose
A study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may enter the nervous system by crossing the nasal epithelium. … read more
expert reaction to announcement by Moderna that they have concluded the primary efficacy analysis for the Phase 3 study of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate
Moderna have announced that they have concluded the primary efficacy analysis for the Phase 3 study of their COVID-19 vaccine … read more
latest interim results from the REACT-1 study on COVID-19 prevalence across England
This briefing covered the latest interim data from the largest community coronavirus testing programme, REACT. This batch of data is … read more
expert reaction to preprint giving the interim results from round 7 of the REACT-1 study on COVID-19 spread across 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 systematic review and meta-analysis on setting-specific transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2
A systematic review and meta-analysis from the Imperial College London COVID-19 Response Team, in collaboration with multiple partners, looks at … read more
expert comments on vaccine safety and monitoring
With a lot of recent focus on vaccines, here are some general comments from Dr Craig Hartford and Dr Penny … read more
expert reaction to latest R number and growth rates for the UK
The government have released the latest estimates for the COVID-19 growth rate and R value. Prof Mark Woolhouse, Professor … read more
expert reaction to announcement of a new NHS pilot on a blood test for more than 50 cancers
The NHS has announced a new pilot using the Garelli blood test to detect multiple different types of early stage … read more
expert reaction to media report reporting AstraZeneca may run an additional study as part of the COVID-19 vaccine trial
It has been reported in the media that AstraZeneca could run an additional study as part of the COVID-19 vaccine … read more
expert reaction to study looking at SARS-CoV-2 and the cell’s internal cholesterol mechanisms
A study published in Nature Metabolism looks at how the cell’s internal cholesterol mechanisms facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry. Professor David … read more