Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels
Durham researchers, students and alumni do outstanding things that change the world. Here’s a few highlights from just the past few months…
Training dogs to sniff out Covid-19
Our bioscientists are working with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Medical Detection Dogs to investigate whether sniffer dogs can be trained to detect Covid-19.
The trial has received UK Government funding and been praised by the Health Minister Lord Bethell, as reported in the Daily Mail.
During a visit to the project, the Duchess of Cornwall described it as ‘game-changing’, The Telegraph reported, and recently Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, was treated to a training demonstration at Paddington Station, London.
Pioneering mass testing for Covid-19
Continuing on the Covid-19 theme, we’ve been working with the UK Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England and the University of Oxford to pioneer mass testing for Covid-19.
Hundreds of our students and staff have volunteered for the Lateral Flow Test programme, which involves a simple nostrils and tonsils swab and tells you whether you’re infectious in just 30 minutes.
Professor Jacqui Ramagge has spoken with the BBC, The Guardian and others about her belief that mass testing must be part of our response to the pandemic, before a vaccine is commonly available.
How should we respond to Covid-19?
Among those reflecting on how society should respond to the Covid-19 pandemic is Pope Francis, leader of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church.
He recently launched a new communication, a Papal Encyclical titled ‘Fratelli Tutti’, on the subject – and a Durham theologian was right there with him.
