Coronavirus news

A teenage boy sat on a bed looking out the window and a cityscape.

COVID lockdowns affected adolescents’ brain structures, says research

A recent study reported the somewhat alarming observation that the social disruptions of COVID lockdowns caused significant changes in teenagers’ brains.
Girl drinking wine alone in her home

Minimum pricing for alcohol helped curb demand during COVID lockdown

Minimum pricing can be very effective in reducing demand for cheap high-strength alcohol amid concerns about affordability fuelling problematic drinking - according to a study on the impact of the measure during the COVID lockdown.
doctor with covid vaccine and syringe

People who hold populist beliefs are more likely to believe misinformation about COVID – new report

Over a fifth of Americans and Poles surveyed believed that COVID-19 vaccines can change people’s DNA.

How populism interfered with science communication during Covid – new study

“I don’t wear masks like him,” said Donald Trump of presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2020. “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200ft away from them, and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”
The AIRBODS research team

Covid-19 air quality study wins national industry award

A Loughborough University-led study that has created the first ever guidance on how to design and operate non-domestic buildings to minimise the spread of airborne viruses has won a national industry award.

Triage by telemedicine – Loughborough research directs healthcare policy in Brazil

Loughborough’s research into video consultations has helped shape healthcare policy in Brazil after COVID-19 put unsustainable pressure on hospitals and doctors’ surgeries during the pandemic.
Photo of the personal stitched panels formed into one quilt from the participants of the project

On-campus exhibition reflects the caring responsibilities of academics during Covid-19 lockdowns

An exhibition currently open in the Martin Hall Gallery tells the stories of women academics trying to manage care responsibilities whilst working during the Covid-19 lockdowns from March 2020.
Close up of an ambulance

How ready are we for the next pandemic? New report analysing UK’s response to COVID-19 says technology is key

The COVID-19 pandemic has been labelled as the largest peacetime emergency that Britain has faced in the last 100 years.

Theatre audiences with accessibility needs risk returning to pre-pandemic levels of exclusion

A new report published by researchers from Loughborough and Kent universities recommends that theatres, arts organisations and funders should prioritise digital innovations to allow vulnerable audiences better access to live shows.

Low-income families face cost of living crisis without the government support they had in the pandemic

Families faced with uncertainties about how they can make ends meet with soaring living costs are not getting the kind of backup from the government that helped them survive the pandemic, a study has found.
man with long nose surronded by technology and covid illustrations

Not calling out friends’ and family’s COVID-19 vaccine falsehoods on WhatsApp can further the spread of misinformation – here’s why we don’t correct them

When people see COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on online personal messaging platforms and don’t speak up, this can boost the legitimacy of false claims and further their spread. So why don’t we correct our peers?

COVID bailouts helped politically connected businesses more than others – new research

COVID has been a painfully expensive ordeal for countries across the world. Aside from the medical cost of vaccines, testing and treatment, economic aid for furlough schemes and sector bailouts dealt a serious blow to public finances.
Protest photo

School of Social Sciences and Humanities academics awarded grant for research project on Pandemic Communication in times of Populism

Professor of Media and Cultural Analysis, Sabina Mihelj, and Senior Lecturer Dr Vaclav Stetka have been awarded an ESRC/Transatlantic Partnership grant, worth c. £700,000, to conduct a project entitled ‘Pandemic Communication in Times of Populism: Building Resilient Media and Ensuring Effective Pandemic Communication in Divided Societies’.
a rugby ball thrown in from the sidelines

New study reveals the true impact of COVID-19 on sport

Researchers from Loughborough University London have released a new report that outlines the impact and future challenges for sport following COVID-19.

Man in suit holding mobile

COVID misinformation is a health risk – tech companies need to remove harmful content not tweak their algorithms

Many worldwide have now caught COVID. But during the pandemic many more are likely to have encountered something else that’s been spreading virally: misinformation. False information has plagued the COVID response, erroneously convincing people that the virus isn’t harmful, of the merits of various ineffective treatments, or of false dangers associated with vaccines.
an alarm clock

Athlete sleep more affected by lockdown compared to general population – new study finds

A new global study in which Loughborough University was a co-lead, has shown that athlete sleep was heavily impacted during the lockdown period.

Photo of headshots of women mathematicians featured in the film as well as a blackboard

Academic raises awareness of the impact of the pandemic on women in mathematics through new film

Senior Lecturer Dr Eugenie Hunsicker – along with four research mathematicians and a filmmaker and social anthropologist – has produced a film entitled “Words of Women in Mathematics in the Time of Corona”, which is currently being showcased at a UNESCO exhibition.

an athlete on the starting blocks

Top athletes struggled for motivation during lockdown – study finds

A new global study has revealed that elite-level athletes suffered low motivation during movement restrictions (e.g. lockdowns) associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Illustration of a phone with a vaccine digital passport on it

Vaccine passports: what businesses need to know – and why they should have more say

Imogen, a night club owner from London, hopes that COVID-19 “passports” could help with the return of customers to her venue. But the 42-year-old told us she is not happy about subjecting her customers to additional checks, and has concerns over a lack of clear guidance on their use.

A woman at a office desk with her head in her hands

Bumble’s week off: employees suffering from burnout need more than an extra holiday

After a busy year involving a rise in customers, a stock market debut and all the pressures that come with a global pandemic, the dating app Bumble recently announced that all staff would be given a week off work.

Leading light in region’s covid-19 vaccine programme honoured by Loughborough University

One of the leading lights in the covid-19 vaccine programme for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) is to be awarded an honorary degree by Loughborough University.

Why COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy should fall as more people get the jab

Did you book your NHS COVID-19 vaccination on the phone? If you did, the first thing you heard was this automated message: “Thank you for your call. We are pleased so many people have responded to their invitations to get a COVID vaccination.”
a group of people enjoying fitness

Leading research team supports mission to enhance sport's contribution to mental health and wellbeing

A team of leading researchers have been commissioned to support the joint mission of the Sport for Development Coalition and Mind to enhance the contribution that sport and physical activity can make to addressing the mental health and wellbeing crisis brought on by Covid-19.

HR professionals needed for study on managing long-term sick leave post COVID-19

Human resources and people professionals are being sought to share their views on the effects of the pandemic on long-term sick leave and what the future holds in managing long-term sick leave.
Displaced community waits in line for food.

Clean energy cooking in refugee camps should be prioritised on the humanitarian agenda, new briefing note argues

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced in the world at the end of 2019, and over the course of 2020, that number has soared beyond 80 million*.