A study by Oxford and Sheffield researchers using a cutting-edge method of imaging has identified persistent damage to the lungs of COVID-19 patients at least three months after they were discharged from hospital, and for some patients even longer. This damage was not detected by routine CT scans and clinical tests, and the patients would … Read more
News for Respiratory
Azithromycin not effective against COVID-19, trial confirms
A clinical trial by University of Oxford researchers has confirmed that the antibiotic azithromycin has no clinical benefit in people with moderate COVID-19. The ATOMIC2 trial, which was supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), was established to investigate if a common antibiotic called azithromycin could prevent patients with mild-moderate COVID-19 from getting … Read more
National study looks at long-term lung damage from COVID-19
A new national study involving researchers from Oxford will investigate the long-term effects of lung inflammation and scarring from COVID-19. The study, launched with £2 million of funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to develop treatment strategies and prevent disability. Many people recovering from COVID-19 suffer from long-term symptoms of lung damage, including breathlessness, … 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 assessments for severe COVID-19 in people with chronic respiratory … Read more
Seven in ten patients hospitalised with COVID-19 not fully recovered five months after discharge
A majority of survivors who left hospital following COVID-19 had not fully recovered five months after discharge and continued to experience negative impacts on their physical and mental health, as well as their ability to work, according to results released by a major national study into the longer-term effect of the COVID-19. The PHOSP-COVID study, … Read more
Drug trial that could improve respiratory recovery from COVID-19 under way
A clinical trial has begun to test whether the drug Almitrine can help people who are seriously ill with COVID-19 recover from the disease. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of three centres taking part in the trial. Patients suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia often develop very low levels of oxygen, called hypoxia, in … Read more
Common asthma treatment reduces need for hospitalisation in COVID-19 patients, study suggests
Early treatment with a medication commonly used to treat asthma appears to significantly reduce the need for urgent care and hospitalisation in people with COVID-19, researchers at the University of Oxford have found. The STOIC study found that inhaled budesonide given to patients with COVID-19 within seven days of the onset of symptoms also reduced … Read more
Interferon-b trial shows positive results
A trial of a new inhaled antiviral drug for COVID-19 has shown positive results and the drug is now moving into a larger international phase 3 trial of hospitalised patients, which is to be delivered with support from the NIHR. The new treatment, a protein called interferon beta or SNG001, has been developed by the UK biotech … Read more
‘Awake proning’ associated with improved COVID-19 clinical outcomes
A study by Oxford respiratory researchers has found that putting COVID-19 patients in a prone position can lead to improved outcomes. The findings of this retrospective study, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, were published in an article by BMJ Open Respiratory Research. Outcomes for patients with COVID-19 who require mechanical ventilation are … Read more
Oxford University and ZOE partner on COVID-19 treatment trials
The University of Oxford has joined forces with the COVID Symptom Study app to widen access to two clinical trials of potential treatments for COVID-19. The two trials include the STOIC trial, which is supported by the NIHR Oxford BRC. Run by the University’s Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM), it is aiming to learn if … Read more
New treatment reduces COVID-19 patients needing intensive care
The preliminary results of a clinical trial supported by NIHR Oxford BRC researchers have suggested that a new treatment for COVID-19 dramatically reduces the number of patients needing intensive care. The treatment, a protein called interferon beta, has been developed by the UK biotech company Synairgen and a team of scientists at the University of … Read more
New national study into the long-term health impacts of COVID-19
A major UK research study – PHOSP-COVID, will investigate the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 on hospitalised patients. The new study has been awarded £8.4 million jointly by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The PHOSP-COVID study is one of a number of COVID-19 studies that have been … Read more
First patient recruited for key drug treatment trial
A clinical trial to test whether Azithromycin, a commonly used antibiotic, can treat the symptoms of COVID-19 in outpatients has recruited its first patient. The ATOMIC2 trial, which is being led from Oxford, will enrol 800 people who are being assessed at hospital with COVID-19 but felt well enough to be cared for at home. … Read more
Drug trial could lead to enhanced respiratory care for COVID-19 patients
Researchers at the University of Oxford are working with clinical collaborators from NHS hospitals, including Oxford University Hospitals, to test a drug that could raise oxygen levels in the blood in COVID-19 patients in order to improve their chances of recovery. Raising oxygen levels is important in COVID-19, because many patients with the disease die … Read more
BRC funds new COVID-19 research projects
The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has allocated funding to three COVID-19 research projects in an attempt to improve treatment, understand how the virus interacts with chronic diseases, and the longer-term effects of infection on organs. The funding, originally earmarked for BRC cross-theme cluster projects, has been diverted to research projects in the BRC’s … Read more
Oxford researchers to play key role in fight-back against COVID-19
Researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre will play a crucial role in tackling the current COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from the development of a new vaccine to developing the most effective drug treatments for people who have contracted the virus. A team from the Oxford Vaccine Group and the University of Oxford’s Jenner … Read more
NIHR Oxford BRC Senior Research Fellows named
The Oxford BRC is delighted to announce the appointment of seven new Senior Research Fellows. They were chosen from an extremely strong field of 47 applicants from across the scientific and clinical community because they demonstrated that their research was high impact and of high quality . They were also able to demonstrate leadership, independence … Read more
Oxford medical researchers win prestigious national awards
Four leading healthcare academics in Oxford have received a prestigious national award. The University of Oxford professors have been named National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigators in recognition of their “outstanding contribution to clinical and applied health and social care research”. The successful candidates are all prominent researchers in the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre … Read more
Study reveals trends in incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax
Oxford researchers supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre have published research that show how the rates of incidence and recurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax have changed over time. The research, published on 9 October in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved teams from the Oxford BRC’s Respiratory and Clinical Informatics themes, using … Read more
Oxford researcher gets additional prize for his research into immunology of asthma
A University of Oxford researcher has been awarded a top scientific prize to add to a prestigious fellowship he was given in June. Dr Tim Hinks was awarded the £25,000 Wellcome-Beit Prize for his research into the immunology of lung diseases, including asthma. The prize is given to four outstanding scientists each year by the Wellcome … Read more