Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert comment on antibody tests and population surveillance for COVID-19
Comment on antibody tests and population surveillance for COVID-19. Prof Sheila Bird, Formerly Programme Leader, MRC Biostatistics Unit, University … read more
expert reaction to paper on neurological manifestations of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China
A paper, published in JAMA Neurology, reports on neurological manifestations of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Wuhan. Prof Ian Jones, … read more
expert reaction to Boris Johnson leaving intensive care and going back onto a ward
No10 have announced that Boris Johnson is now no longer in the ICU, and has been moved back to the … read more
expert comment – what is an ELISA test?
There have been questions from journalists about what an ELISA test – one of the tests being used for COVID-19 … read more
expert reaction to latest numbers of deaths in England, published by NHS England
NHS England have published the latest number of recorded deaths from COVID-19 in the UK – a further 765 people, … read more
expert comments on BME groups and risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19
There have been questions from journalists about apparent differences in the proportion of people hospitalised with COVID-19 who are from … read more
expert comments about the current lockdown measures
A meeting of the government emergency COBR committee is due to take place today where it is expected that the … read more
expert comment about measuring the immune antibody response to COVID-19 infection in patients
There have been questions from journalists about measuring the level of immune response to infection in patients with COVID-19. … read more
expert reaction to Cochrane rapid review of effectiveness of quarantine, either alone or in combination with other public health measures, to control COVID-19
The Cochrane Library have published a rapid review of 29 studies on the effectiveness of quarantine, either alone or in … read more
expert reaction to a study looking at susceptibility of pets to the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2)
A paper, published in Science, has looked at the susceptibility of a variety of commonly domesticated animals, including cats and … read more
expert comments about oncologist Prof Karol Sikora’s tweets about how we could exit the lockdown
There have been questions from journalists about the feasibility of the exit strategy outlined by Prof Karol Sikora, an oncologist … read more
expert reaction to latest figures on COVID-19 cases and deaths in the UK
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have announced the latest figures for cases (60,733) of and deaths (7,097) … read more
expert reaction to preprint on antibody responses to the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) in a group of recovered people in Shanghai
A preprint, posted on MedRxiv, reports on the antibody responses to the COVID-19 virus in a group of recovered people … read more
expert reaction to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) COVID-19 projections for the UK
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) have been producing COVID-19 projections for many countries, including the UK. … read more
expert encounter with international scientists on COVID-19
We hosted an online Expert Encounter press briefing with scientists from Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. The scientists gave … read more
expert comment on ICU recovery data on COVID-19
There have been questions from journalists on the illness and treatment progression for patients in ICU. Prof Duncan Young, … read more
expert reaction to announcement by NHS England that they have launched a mental health hotline for staff tackling COVID-19
NHS England have announced that they are launching a mental health hotline for staff tackling COVID-19. Prof Dame Til … read more
expert reaction to today’s COVID-19 figures for number of cases and deaths in the UK
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have announced the latest figures for cases (55,242) of and deaths (6,159) … read more
expert reaction to a systematic review of prediction models for diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19 infection
A systematic review, published in The BMJ, reports on prediction models for diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19 infection. Comment from … read more
expert reaction to new WHO advice on use of facemasks in the context of COVID-19
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued guidance on the use of facemasks in the context of COVID-19. Prof … read more