Topic description and stories

Cambridge researchers have played a vital role in the fight back against COVID-19, from the use of genomics to track its spread and mathematic modelling to understand infection rates through to innovative screening programmes to keep its students and staff safe.

Intensive care unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital

Underactive immune response may explain obesity link to COVID-19 severity

20 March 2023

Individuals who are obese may be more susceptible to severe COVID-19 because of a poorer inflammatory immune response, say Cambridge scientists.

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Doctor wearing face mask

Proper fit of face masks is more important than material, study suggests

11 Feb 2021

A team of researchers studying the effectiveness of different types of face masks has found that in order to provide the best protection against...

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Digital support

10 Feb 2021

Research published today shows how digital providers are coming together to support the mental health needs of millions of users unable to access...

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Vaccine rollouts, school testing and contact tracing could all be improved

05 Feb 2021

Director of the MRC Biostatistics Unit at Cambridge, Prof Sylvia Richardson, looks at the smart evaluations we should add to our pandemic control...

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3D print of Spike protein

Study highlights risk of new SARS-CoV-2 mutations emerging during chronic infection

05 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mutations similar to those in the B1.1.7 UK variant could arise in cases of chronic infection, where treatment over an extended period can...

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Forest landscape in Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China

Climate change may have driven the emergence of SARS-CoV-2

05 Feb 2021

Global greenhouse gas emissions over the last century have made southern China a hotspot for bat-borne coronaviruses, by driving growth of forest...

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Beyond the pandemic: prepare and plan a biosecure future

03 Feb 2021

COVID-19 has exposed a lack of preparedness for biological hazards – both in the UK and globally. Luke Kemp from the Centre for the Study of...

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Safety screens

03 Feb 2021

Since the start of October, a dedicated team drawn from across the University and its Colleges has been running an innovate programme to screen its...

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Syringe and vaccine

Pfizer BioNTech vaccine likely to be effective against B1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2

02 Feb 2021

The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine BNT162b2 is likely to be effective against the B1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, even though its efficacy is modestly...

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A single ‘escape mutant’ shouldn’t render a vaccine useless

28 Jan 2021

Dr Sarah Caddy writes for The Conversation about how the latest mutations are likely to affect vaccine efficacy.

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Student in Cambridge University Library

Thought experiment on post-COVID Cambridge suggests that for universities, blending is a new beginning

28 Jan 2021

A research project which asked University of Cambridge staff and students to describe their biggest hopes – and darkest fears – for post-pandemic...

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Beyond the pandemic: re-learn how to govern risk

25 Jan 2021

As the pandemic crisis has played out across the world, different governments have taken different approaches to controlling the spread of virus and...

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When Symptoms Don't Stop

22 Jan 2021

Treating those most severely affected by COVID-19 has necessarily taken priority during the pandemic. But could long COVID be the next wave of the...

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