During these testing times it’s reassuring to hear about all of the hard work being done by the Churchill Community to both manage and inform about the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s what has been happening in the last few days.

Statistician Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter has been looking into the data behind Covid-19, particularly in relation to tracking the spread of the virus in the UK compared to Italy and whether or not the UK was as prepared as it could have been. Sir David also appeared on a Coronavirus special for the BBC, discussing the risks of Covid-19 for different age groups and what restrictions mean for the economy.

Head of the Institute for Manufacturing, Professor Tim Minshall, has been speaking to The Manufacturer about how the engineering community can help in the crisis, especially the need for more ventilators.

Professor Diane Coyle has been writing about the economic impact of Covid-19, focussing on why the pandemic will be particularly damaging to living standards, and to ensure these lessons inform future policy choices, including health policies.

Social psychologist Dr Sander van der Linden has been discussing “fear contagion” and the psychology behind panic buying. Dr van der Linden also joined a roundtable to discuss how to stop a pandemic of fear.

Alumna Dr Olivia Remes from the University’s Department of Public Health and Primary Care has been offering her top tips on how to look after your mental health during the pandemic.

Researcher from the Babraham Institute Dr Michelle Linterman published some research on how to boost immune response to vaccines in older people:

We will continue to keep you informed of all of the work being done by the Churchill College Community. If you have any news you would like to share, please get in touch by emailing comms.manager@chu.cam.ac.uk.