The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed the delivery of healthcare. It has stimulated rapid innovation in medical diagnostics and equipment, and the manufacturing sector has responded with flexible, demand-led manufacturing of ventilators and PPE. But the first round of clinical trials for COVID featured drugs that were already on the market, and aimed to repurpose … Continue reading “Why drug repurposing is the route of choice when speed is of the essence”
Category: Blog
Topical comment and analysis from BHP
Why is COVID-19 life threatening for some, but not others?
With the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still holding the world in its grip, identifying how our immune system responds to the virus is critical to understanding the unknowns surrounding COVID-19. The human immune system is extremely complex but understanding of how it reacts during and after infection with SARS-CoV-2 is critical to our ability to control the … Continue reading “Why is COVID-19 life threatening for some, but not others?”
National Arthritis Week: treating the causes of inflammatory disease – not just symptoms
Birmingham is tackling inflammatory diseases like arthritis in partnership with the University of Oxford, through the Arthritis Therapy Acceleration Programme (A-TAP). A-TAP is an initiative which aims to support and develop novel treatments for arthritis based on the underlying causes of inflammatory disease – moving away from a traditional ‘organ-based, speciality-focussed’ approach to a process-driven, … Continue reading “National Arthritis Week: treating the causes of inflammatory disease – not just symptoms”
Herd immunity: can it really protect us from COVID-19?
The term “herd immunity” is used to describe the phenomenon that individuals who are at risk of an infectious disease are protected by those around them that have immunity against the infection – but is it the answer to COVID-19? It’s unlikely, says Professor Willem van Schaik, Director of the Institute of Microbiology and Infection… … Continue reading “Herd immunity: can it really protect us from COVID-19?”
12 things we’ve learnt about COVID-19 from health data research
Six months on from the start of the first UK lockdown, Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) is highlighting the vital role that the UK’s health data research community has played in responding to COVID-19, and the importance of including all groups in society as the pandemic continues. BHP is home to two HDR UK … Continue reading “12 things we’ve learnt about COVID-19 from health data research”