The RECOVERY Trial, the world’s largest randomised trial of potential COVID-19 treatments, has found that a monoclonal antibody combination developed by US company Regeneron reduces deaths for hospitalised COVID-19 patients who have not mounted their own immune response. The ... READ MORE
News for Translational Data Science
BRC-supported researchers recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours
A number of NIHR Oxford BRC-supported researchers who have played prominent roles in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic have been honoured as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. The researchers, who have developed new vaccines or identified new drug treatments, have saved many ... READ MORE
RECOVERY trial finds aspirin does not improve survival for hospitalised COVID-19 patients
The RECOVERY Trial, the world’s largest randomised trial of potential COVID-19 treatments, has found that in patients hospitalised with COVID-19, aspirin is not associated with reductions in mortality or in the risk of progressing to invasive mechanical ventilation or death. In ... READ MORE
Artificial intelligence tool for streamlining pathology workflow
A multidisciplinary team comprising University of Oxford academics and Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) pathologists has developed an algorithm that automates requests for additional investigation of diagnostically uncertain prostate biopsies. The team were supported by the NIHR Oxford BRC ... READ MORE
Trial finds no benefit from using colchicine in hospitalised COVID-19 patients
The RECOVERY Trial, the world’s largest randomised trial of potential COVID-19 treatments, has found no evidence that that the drug colchicine has any meaningful clinical benefits for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Colchicine is used to treat inflammation and pain in ... READ MORE
BRC researcher receives national infection prevention award
An NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre researcher who has played a leading role in Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust’s COVID-19 staff testing programme is to receive a national award. Dr David Eyre (pictured) has been named as the recipient of the Healthcare Infection ... READ MORE
Oxford BRC researchers named among new Academy of Medical Sciences fellows
A number of leading researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre are among 50 prominent biomedical and health scientists elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences’ respected and influential Fellowship. The new Fellows include Oxford BRC experts who have spearheaded the ... READ MORE
Data reveals COVID-19 risk factors for people with type 1 diabetes
The largest study of people with type 1 diabetes admitted to hospital with COVID-19 has found that those with higher body mass index (BMI), poorer kidney function and the presence of microvascular complications were at greater risk of death and/or admission to intensive care. However, the ... READ MORE
Study highlights role of BMI in increased COVID-19 risks
A study by University of Oxford researchers has found that the risk of admission to hospital, admission to ICU or death from COVID-19 increases progressively above a ‘normal’ BMI of 23, even without other comorbidities. The research team, who are supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research ... READ MORE
National survey reveals big reductions in COVID-19 infections with single dose of Oxford-AZ and Pfizer vaccines
Data from the national COVID-19 Infection Survey, which is led by senior NIHR Oxford BRC researcher Professor Sarah Walker, has revealed the impact of vaccination on antibody responses and new infections in a large group of adults from the general population. This major community surveillance ... READ MORE
New clinical prediction tools for myeloma developed
University of Oxford researchers have developed new clinical prediction models for use in primary care with the aim of accelerating the diagnosis of myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. Myeloma caused 117,077 deaths worldwide in 2020. Earlier diagnosis improves the rate of survival but ... READ MORE
Risk of severe COVID-19 from asthma and other respiratory diseases may be only modestly increased, new analysis suggests
An analysis of 8.3 million health care records in England shows that people with asthma have only a small increased risk of developing severe Covid-19. The study, led by University of Oxford researchers, examined routine patient data collected between January and April 2020 to generate risk ... READ MORE
Two doses of vaccine offer same protection from COVID as prior infection, study finds
Two doses of either the Pfizer or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine offer similar protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection to that coming from natural immunity after infection, an ongoing study of healthcare workers has found. None of the 1,456 healthcare workers at Oxford University ... READ MORE
Oxford study shows high level of readmissions and death after COVID-19 discharge
Some 30% of patients discharged after being admitted to hospital with community-acquired COVID-19 had been readmitted or died within 60 days, a study by Oxford researchers has shown. In a paper published in the European Journal of Public Health, they found that, as anticipated, rates of ... READ MORE
Oxford-led technology to help those at high risk from Covid-19
More people in England at high risk from Covid-19 will get priority access to vaccines thanks to new technology developed by a University of Oxford-led team of researchers that can identify those who may be most vulnerable to the virus. Research led by Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox in the ... READ MORE
Tocilizumab found to reduce deaths in hospitalised COVID-19patients
The RECOVERY Trial, the world’s largest randomised trial of potential COVID-19 treatments, has found that the anti-inflammatory drug, tocilizumab, reduces the risk of death when given to hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19. The trial, which received core funding from the NIHR Oxford ... READ MORE
Lateral flow devices found to be useful in screening OUH staff for coronavirus
Infection prevention and control clinicians and researchers at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) have been outlining the OUH’s experience of deploying self-administered home-based lateral flow testing of its staff. In a letter published in the Journal of Infection, they said that 46,503 ... READ MORE
Fewer colorectal cancer diagnoses reported during COVID-19
University of Oxford researchers from the UK Colorectal Cancer Intelligence Hub have been investigating how the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer patients has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NIHR Oxford BRC-supported researchers at the Nuffield Department of Population ... READ MORE
Lateral flow devices detect most infectious COVID-19 cases, study shows
Researchers from the University of Oxford, working with Public Health England, have used NHS Test and Trace data to find out why some individuals pass COVID-19 on to their contacts more easily than others, and if lateral flow tests are sufficient in detecting those who are most ... READ MORE
Trial finds no benefit from azithromycin in hospitalised COVID-19 patients
The RECOVERY Trial, the world’s largest randomised trial of potential COVID-19 treatments, has found no convincing evidence that that the widely used antibiotic azithromycin has any meaningful clinical benefits for patients who have been hospitalised with COVID-19. Azithromycin was regarded a ... READ MORE