Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to case series of 10 children with severe treatment resistant epilepsy treated with medical cannabis
A case series published in BMJ Paediatrics Open looks at the use of medical cannabis for severe treatment resistant epilepsy … read more
expert reaction to all 11 countries being removed from the UK’s travel red list from 4am on Wednesday 15 December 2021
The Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, announced the removal of all eleven countries from the travel Red List … read more
expert reaction to press release from Discovery Health giving real-world information on their Omicron outbreak based on 211000 COVID-19 positive test results in South Africa
A press release from Discovery Health, a private health insurance administrator from South Africa, provides real-world data on the Omicron … read more
expert reaction to paper looking at risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection
A study published in Nature Medicine looks at cardiovascular complications after the first dose or second dose of COVID-19 vaccines … read more
Study looking at risks of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias associated with COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection
Scientists undertook a self-controlled case series to investigate the risk of developing of myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrhythmias within 28 … read more
expert reaction to preprint looking at the neutralisation of the Omicron variant by serum from individuals who had received a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination schedule with either AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines
A preprint, an unpublished non-peer reviewed study, looks at neutralising antibody titres against the Omicron variant. This Roundup accompanied an … read more
Update from COM-COV vaccine study on omicron
Scientists running the COM-COV study have done some preliminary analysis of neutralising antibody titres against the omicron variant, from samples … read more
expert reaction to preprint from LSHTM modelling the potential consequences of the omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant in England
A preprint, an unpublished non-peer reviewed study, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) models potential omicron transmission … read more
LSHTM omicron modelling
Modellers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have produced some modelling looking at omicron and potential transmission … read more
expert reaction to UKHSA omicron variant technical briefing, including information on growth and dominance and data on vaccine protection against mild symptomatic disease from Omicron
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest technical briefing looking at SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation … read more
expert reaction to South African hospital surveillance report from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa has published their latest COVID-19 hospital surveillance update. Prof Jonathan … 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 omicron situation in Scotland, new measures announced by Nicola Sturgeon, and evidence paper
The Scottish government have announced new COVID-19 restrictions and published an evidence paper providing information about the Omicron variant in … read more
expert reaction to FDA approving for emergency use in the US AstraZeneca’s Evusheld (formerly AZD7442) antibody combination for pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19
The US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) have provided emergency approval for the use of AstraZeneca’s Evusheld (formerly AZD7442) antibody combination for pre-exposure … read more
expert reaction to avian flu in the UK
There have been several reports of high levels of avian influenza in the UK. Prof Ian Brown, Head of … read more
expert reaction to SPI-M consensus about omicron, ‘SPI-M-O: Consensus Statement on COVID-19, 7 December 2021’
SPI-M-O have published their latest consensus statement on COVID-19. Prof Rowland Kao, the Sir Timothy O’Shea Professor of Veterinary … read more
Has Covid-19 sent cancer trials backwards, and what barriers do we need to overcome to get trials back on track?
Clinical trials can deliver pioneering new treatments for cancer patients – so why are so many people missing out on … read more
expert reaction to UKHSA update on Omicron risk assessment and S-gene target failure
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published an updated risk assessment for the Omicron variant and S-gene target failure. … read more
expert reaction to government announcing Plan B will be implemented in England
The Prime Minister announced the move to Plan B in England at a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday. … read more
expert reaction to press release from Pfizer-BioNTech about omicron and neutralising antibody titres after two and three vaccine doses
The press release from Pfizer and BioNTech provides an update on the omicron variant from preliminary laboratory studies. Prof … read more