science wire

Statisticians Professor Gianluca Baio (UCL Statistical Science) and Professor Marta Blangiardo (Imperial College London) explain why it's hard to calculate the actual number of deaths due to Covid-19 and the steps that need taking to make sense of what is happening. Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Right? Well, not quite.

A breathing aid developed by engineers at UCL and clinicians at UCLH working with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains is being deployed in NHS hospitals to help Covid-19 patients breathe more easily.

Thousands of people across the country will be tested for COVID-19 as part of two new Government funded studies led by UCL and UCLH to see how the coronavirus spreads among communities and NHS workers.

Stress related to Covid-19 has steadily fallen since lockdown began, along with general levels of anxiety, according to UCL's Covid-19 study, the UK's largest study on adults' wellbeing and mental health during the coronavirus epidemic. The study, which was launched a month ago, has over 74,000 participants and reports on how adults feel about the lockdown, government advice, feelings of loneliness and wellbeing, and their mental health.

Professor Meg Russell, Director of UCL Constitution Unit and Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society set out some key principles for a virtual parliament, during the coronavirus pandemic.

Easing the lockdown through a traffic light system could help to reboot the economy, provide a clear sense of direction and install hope, according to new proposals set out by UCL.

Stress relating to catching Covid-19 is currently highest amongst adults aged 30-59, according to UCL's Covid-19 study, the UK largest study on adults' wellbeing and mental health during the coronavirus epidemic.

A group of mental health experts, led by UCL, have issued advice for frontline healthcare workers on how to cope with stress during the COVID-19 crisis.

A powerful jet streaming from a supermassive black hole has been imaged in unprecedented detail by the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, including UCL astrophysicist Dr Ziri Younsi, which published the first image of a black hole a year ago.

The designs of a new breathing aid developed by engineers at UCL and Formula One working with clinicians at UCLH have been made freely available to support the global response to Covid-19.

The world's most powerful supercomputers are being used by UCL researchers for urgent investigations into the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the associated COVID-19 disease with the aim of accelerating the development of treatments, including antiviral drugs and vaccines.

A 'recall clause' for workers employed by businesses significantly hit by the coronavirus pandemic could help alleviate worker anxiety, and encourage them to take stopgap jobs that are urgently required to face the heath crisis, suggests a new study UCL study.

Professor Nick Tilley (UCL Security and Crime Science) joint-authors an article discussing which types of crime are likely to decrease and which will increase during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Concerns about getting food and for friends and family rank highly for most people, according to the first wave of results from UCL's Covid-19 study on adults' psychological and social experiences.

A 'recall clause' for workers employed by businesses significantly hit by the coronavirus pandemic could help alleviate worker anxiety, and encourage them to take stopgap jobs that are urgently required to face the heath crisis, suggests a new study UCL study.

As strict self-isolation measures, introduced to control the spread of coronavirus, force millions of us to work from home, UCL academics share their tips and strategies to help achieve healthy homeworking. Drawing on research insights from the worlds of psychology and anthropology, PhD researcher Dave Cook (UCL Anthropology) and Professor Anna Cox (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) have drawn up five key themes on adjusting to this new life.

The researchers used data from the Whitehall II cohort, which collected information from UK civil servants, aged 34-56 years at study outset, since 1985-88. The final sample for this study was made up of 4,820 older adults, aged between 59 and 83 years. The mean (average) age was 69, and 75% were male.

Scientists are calling on technology companies to work with researchers and governments to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing their data in a legal, proportionate, ethical and privacy-preserving manner.

Spending time in supermarkets, eating out, socialising and using public transport, as well as being in contact with someone who has a cold, significantly increases the risk of contracting a respiratory illness, according to new UCL research.

A breathing aid that can help keep Covid-19 patients out of intensive care, adapted by mechanical engineers at UCL and clinicians at UCLH working with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (Mercedes-AMG HPP), has been approved for use in the NHS.

Vladimir Putin has postponed the public vote on constitutional reform amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Christine 'Xine' Yao (UCL English) has been named as one of this year's 'New Generation Thinkers' by the BBC and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

In recent weeks, we have seen the whole of the UK come together in support of each other during the coronavirus crisis.

Dr Lena Ciric (UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering) gives tips on which household products are best at killing Covid-19 coronavirus. COVID-19 has only been around for a few months, so at this point scientists don't know that much about it. But more is being learned every day. We now know, for example, it can live on surfaces for up to nine days and survives in the air for a few hours.

UCL has launched a study into the psychological and social effects of Covid-19 in the UK. Researchers are aiming to recruit a large sample of adults living in the UK to help understand the effects of coronavirus and social distancing measures on individuals.

Judith Breuer, Director of UCL Pathogen Genomics Unit (UCL-PGU), has today been announced as one of the UK scientists to be part of a major new genome sequencing consortium which will map the spread of Covid-19.

A mitigation strategy aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus could lead to at least 35,000-70,000 excess deaths over one year, find researchers from UCL, UCL NHS Trust, the University of Cambridge, and Health Data Research UK.

Writing for the Conversation, Dr Jung Won Sonn (Bartlett School of Planning, UCL) points to the importance of surveillance, with infected individuals tracked and their movements flagged online for all to see.

After initially ignoring the national lockdown, people are now heeding the president's guidance in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, writes Professor Philippe Marliere (UCL School of European Languages, Culture & Society).