UCC leading the way in latest research to determine the social impact of COVID-19
RESEARCHERS at University College Cork are set to play a key role in measuring both the impact that COVID-19 public health measures have had on Irish society and the genetic composition of viruses circulating across the country.
The initiatives are among more than two-dozen projects set to share in a €5 million windfall under a Rapid Response Research, Development and Innovation programme jointly funded by the Health Research Board (HRB), Irish Research Council (IRC), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
The programme is aimed at funding research that will provide evidence to support both the national and global effort to manage the Coronavirus outbreak.
Under the auspices of the programme, Professor Ivan Perry of UCCs School of Public Health will head up a study to estimate the burden of symptomatic diseases within communities and the potential impact of public health measures on physical, mental and social well-being.
He said that following the implementation of unprecedented measures to contain and mitigate the impact of COVID-19, there was now a “critical need” to quantify their impact in order to inform the national and global response to the ongoing pandemic in the weeks and months ahead.
In order to do this, Professor Perry and his team will survey thousands of people on their experiences, with the findings being used to create a mathematical model that will help inform decisions relating to the possible duration of physical-distancing measures while balancing a range of other factors, including capacity of the health service, the effects on well-being, and economic disruption.
“We hope that this project will give us a better understanding of both the underlying trends in the burden of symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 infection in the community and the impact of physical distancing and related public health measures on our physical, mental, psychological and social well-being,” said Professor Perry.
Meanwhile, a project led by Prof Paul Cotter of Teagasc and UCC’s Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre has also been awarded funding to determine the genetic make-up of the viruses circulating in Ireland.
The aim here is to support efforts to respond to clusters of infections as they arise and minimise their spread.
They will set up the National Coronavirus Sequencing Consortium, which will read and analyse the genetic make-up of the SARS- CoV-2 virus in Irish patient samples.
The resultant data will allow epidemiologists to monitor trends in Ireland and internationally and determine changes in the virus that could have an impact the development and delivery of treatments and vaccines.
“The Irish Coronavirus Sequencing Consortium has been made possible due to the remarkable enthusiasm and commitment from very many clinicians and researchers across the country. By continuing to work together, we can provide key insights into viral spread and how it is evolving over time,” said Professor Cotter.