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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Vial of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Incidence of heart attacks and strokes was lower after COVID-19 vaccination

31 Jul 2024

The incidence of heart attacks and strokes was lower after COVID-19 vaccination than before or without vaccination, according to a new study...

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A man sitting on a couch holding his head in his hands

Low iron levels resulting from infection could be key trigger of long COVID

04 Mar 2024

Problems with iron levels in the blood and the body’s ability to regulate this important nutrient as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a key...

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Woman sitting on sofa in the dark, placing a hand to her forehead.

Long COVID linked to persistently high levels of inflammatory protein: a potential biomarker and target for treatments

21 Feb 2024

SARS-CoV-2 triggers the production of the antiviral protein IFN- γ , which is associated with fatigue, muscle ache and depression. New research shows...

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People in church praying with covid-19 restrictions

Religious people coped better with Covid-19 pandemic, research suggests

30 Jan 2024

Two Cambridge-led studies suggest that the psychological distress caused by lockdowns (UK) and experience of infection (US) was reduced among those...

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Young girl watching herself being injected with COVID-19 vaccine at a medical clinic

Significant gaps in COVID-19 vaccine uptake may have led to over 7,000 hospitalisations and deaths

15 Jan 2024

Between a third and a half of the populations of the four UK nations had not had the recommended number of COVID vaccinations and boosters by summer...

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Illustration of mRNA strand

Researchers redesign future mRNA therapeutics to prevent potentially harmful immune responses

06 Dec 2023

Researchers have discovered that misreading of therapeutic mRNAs by the cell’s decoding machinery can cause an unintended immune response in the body...

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Scanning electron micrograph of MRSA

COVID-19 showed the importance of genomic surveillance – we need it to help fight antimicrobial resistance

14 Nov 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance proved vital in helping understand the evolution and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Now, an...

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Coronavirus newspaper headline montage

“Get back to school” headlines eroded teacher wellbeing during the pandemic

06 Nov 2023

Intense public pressure on teachers to “get back to school” during the COVID-19 lockdowns deepened an already widespread sense that they were...

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Virus variants

Vulnerability to different COVID-19 mutations depends on previous infections and vaccination, study suggests

06 Oct 2023

A person’s immune response to variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, depends on their previous exposure – and differences in the...

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Digital generated image of different variants of virus cells against a black background.

New vaccine technology could protect from future viruses and variants

25 Sep 2023

Studies of a ‘future-proof’ vaccine candidate have shown that just one antigen can be modified to provide a broadly protective immune response in...

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Image of SARS-CoV-2 viruses

Widely-used COVID-19 antiviral could be helping SARS-CoV-2 to evolve

25 Sep 2023

Molnupiravir, an antiviral drug used to treat patients with COVID-19, appears to be driving SARS-CoV-2 to mutate and evolve, with some of these new...

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Patient receiving a COVID-19 vaccination

Obesity accelerates loss of COVID-19 vaccination immunity, study finds

11 May 2023

The protection offered by COVID-19 vaccination declines more rapidly in people with severe obesity than in those with normal weight, scientists at...

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