MyGlasgow Research

Led by

Michael Jarvis - School of Chemistry

Project summary

Evidence has emerged that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can be transmitted airborne in aerosol particles as well as in larger droplets or by surface deposits. This minireview outlines the underlying aerosol science, making links to aerosol research in other disciplines. SARS-CoV-2 is emitted in aerosol form during normal breathing by both asymptomatic and symptomatic people, remaining viable with a half-life of up to about an hour during which air movement can carry it considerable distances, although it simultaneously disperses. The proportion of the droplet size distribution within the aerosol range depends on the sites of origin within the respiratory tract and on whether the distribution is presented on a number or volume basis. Evaporation and fragmentation reduce the size of the droplets, whereas coalescence increases the mean droplet size. Aerosol particles containing SARS-CoV-2 can also coalesce with pollution particulates, and infection rates correlate with pollution. The operation of ventilation systems in public buildings and transportation can create infection hazards via aerosols, but provides opportunities for reducing the risk of transmission in ways as simple as switching from recirculated to outside air. There are also opportunities to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol form with sunlight or UV lamps. The efficiency of masks for blocking aerosol transmission depends strongly on how well they fit. Research areas that urgently need further experimentation include the basis for variation in droplet size distribution and viral load, including droplets emitted by “superspreader” individuals; the evolution of droplet sizes after emission, their interaction with pollutant aerosols and their dispersal by turbulence, which gives a different basis for social distancing.

The minireview article can be accessed online: Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: Physical Principles and Implications

Updates on specific topics have been supplied to the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group

• Aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Update on masks
• Aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Update on ventilation

Led by

University of Glasgow

• Professor Muhammad Irman
• Professor Nuran Acur

Telefonica Darwin Innovation Group

• Daniela Petrovic

Project summary

Mass testing and real-time reporting of data are crucial in containing the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Unfortunately, healthcare professionals are currently overstretched, which calls for innovative solutions that factor in the peculiarities of care homes in managing this outbreak. Accordingly, a team comprising University of Glasgow (Adam Smith Business School and James Watt School of Engineering) and Telefonica Darwin Innovation Group developers is working in collaboration with other stakeholders, for a proof-of-concept COVID-19 Connected Mobile Health Clinic (CMHC). The CMHC, which is a fully equipped clinic-on-wheels that is supported by a 4G/5G mobile network and connected to cloud-based fleet/events and inventory management platform, is designed to visit care homes for remote testing of residents and delivery of essential medical supplies . COVID-19 test results of the care home residents will be sent to a secure cloud server via the mobile network for real-time epidemiological and management analysis. This solution will minimise exposure of care home residents and healthcare personnel, ensuring better time utilisation of experienced healthcare workers and, ultimately, will enhance COVID-19 testing capability of the NHS. The project will also develop policy implementations and social business models to support Covid-19 epidemic strategy. The project will create additional value to existing underlying technologies as well as societal benefits by tackling this critical public health problem. The scaled model will also be useful in future (for longer term) for remote diagnostics, health-management and tele-consultation for the NHS. The project is co-funded by Telefonica Darwin Innovation Group and UofG EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (£150K for the Proof of Concept stage), and it builds on an existing research collaboration “Project Darwin”, a four-year trial programme designed to develop and validate the next-generation of connectivity solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Funder

University of Glasgow

Total award

£50,000

Led by

• Dr Jo Halliday, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutes

University of Glasgow

• Professor Sarah Cleaveland
• Dr Alicia Davis
• Karen Main
• Don Ross
• Dr Kirstyn Brunker 

Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute

• Professor Blandina Mmbaga
• Ireen Kiwelu
• Athanasia Maro
• Mdealilia Swai
• Marco Van Zweetselar 
• Tolbert Sonda
• Happiness Kumburu
• Davis Kuchaka
• AbdulHamid Lukambagire
• Eliza Kussaga 
• Tupo Jana

Project summary

This capacity strengthening project will provide critical support for Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI) in Tanzania to establish robust diagnostic and epidemiological capacity for COVID-19 response, enabling KCRI to deliver multiple key objectives of the Tanzanian Rapid Response Research Agenda on COVID 19 (RRRA- COVID-19), in which KCRI is a named partner. Support and guidance in study design, implementation and data analyses will be provided remotely by University of Glasgow scientists building on strong well-established partnerships with KCRI for disease research.

Funder

University of Glasgow

Total award

£142,975

Led by

• Dr Mo Hume, University of Glasgow 

Co-investigator and institutions

• Dr Allan Gillies, University of Glasgow
• Dr Nagore Penades, University of Glasgow
• Dr Lucy Pickering, University of Glasgow
• Mark Camburn, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
• Mari Everett, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
• Yesenia Palacios, Diocese of Quibdó
• Dr Feliciano Moreno, Diocese of Quibdó
• Yijan Palacios, Diocese of Quibdó
• Arquimedes Carpio Membache
• Esaud Lemos Maturana
• Deymar Murillo Aluma
• Teresa Casas Robledo
• Cleiver Enrique Córdoba Arriga
• Vianney Moya

Project summary

Chocó is the poorest and most ethnically diverse region of Colombia and has been living through a humanitarian crises for many decades due to ongoing armed conflict. This action research project proposes to enhance capacity of our partner, the Diocese of Quibdó, a central member of the departmental Emergency Response Committee, to develop a collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that recognises, respects and learns from the common and differentiated challenges faced by different ethnic communities due to deep poverty, geographical location and diverse livelihood and cultural practices. Key capacities will be developed in prevention and psychosocial support and resilience and these will be ‘systematised’ to generate lessons learned for other contexts and future crisis planning.

Funder

University of Glasgow

Total award

£148,174

Led by

• Dr Antonia Ho

Co-investigators and institutions

University of Glasgow

• Dr Kayla Barnes
• Dr Chris Moxon
• Professor Jon Cooper
• Dr Julien Reboud
• Dr Andrew Glidle

University of Malawi College of Medicine

• Professor Mwapatsa Mipando
• Dr Johnstone Kumwenda
• Dr Jane Mallewa
• Dr Tonney Nyirenda
• Dr Chisomo Msefula
• Dr Rajab Mkakosya
• Pauline Katundu
• Dr Isaac Shawa
• Dr Khuzwayo Jere
• Dr David Chaima

Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Program

• Dr Jennifer Cornick

Project summary

Led by

• Professor Brian Willett, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions 

University of Glasgow

• Professor David Robertson
• Dr Antonia Ho
• Dr Ke Yuan

Uganda Virus Research Institute

• Dr Bernard Kikaire
• Dr Robert Downing
• Professor Julius Lutwama
• John Kayiwa
• Dr Tom Lutalo
• Dr Christine Watera
• Dr Aminah Malumansi

MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit

• Professor Matthew Cotton
• Professor Pontiano Kaleebu
• Dr Jennifer Serwanga
• Dr Deogratius Ssemwanga

Project summary

Co-leads

• Kenneth Baillie (University of Edinburgh)
• M.G. Semple (University of Liverpool)
• Peter Openshaw (Imperial College London) 

Glasgow researchers

From the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research:

• Dr Antonia Ho
• Professor Emma Thomson
• Professor David Robertson

Partner organisations

• University of Cambridge
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• Imperial College London
• University of Liverpool
• University of Oxford
• Public Health England

Project summary

The researchers will collect samples and data from COVID-19 patients in the UK to answer many urgent questions about the virus and provide real-time information, which could help to control the outbreak and improve treatment for patients.

Their questions include:

• Who in the population is at higher risk of severe illness?
• What is the best way to diagnose the disease?
• What is happening in their immune systems to help or harm them?
• What are the effects of drugs used in patients with COVID-19?
• How long are people infectious for and from which bodily fluids?
• Are people infected with other viruses (e.g. flu) at the same time?

They will recruit at least the first 1,300 UK patients who agree to take part over the next year, and aim to start communicating their initial results in months.

The team’s capacity builds on planning carried out over the past 8 years as part of the International Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium, and it includes co-investigators from six UK universities and Public Health England. 

More information is available at the UK Research and Innovation webpage.

Funder

• Medical Research Council

Total award

• £4.9m

Led by

• UKRI team

Glasgow researchers

From the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research:

• Professor Massimo Palmarini
• Professor Margaret Hosie
• Dr Sema Nickbakhsh

Partner organisations

• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
• Imperial College of London
• Kings College London
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
• University of Oxford

Project summary

To provide a website for the public with reliable, detailed, and up-to-date science information on coronavirus and COVID-19.

Project details are available at the UKRI webpage.

Funder

• United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Led by

• Professor Jane Duckett, University of Glasgow

Glasgow researchers

• Professor Jane Duckett
• Dr Holly Snape
• Dr Ana Langer
• Dr Yingru Li

Partner organisations

• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Peking University

Project summary

We urgently need to understand Chinese government measures to contain COVID-19. Rates of infection seem to be slowing in China, but they are accelerating worldwide. Given the apparent success of Chinese measures, other countries may consider adopting them. Yet we do not fully understand China’s measures — which extend well beyond health and clinical management — or their effects.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that some measures created significant new problems, both for containing the virus (e.g. closing transport from the outbreak centre hampered the inward flow of medical supplies) and for members of Chinese society (e.g. quarantining those infected sometimes left dependents without carers).

This project will use documentary policy and media analysis and fieldwork in four localities in China, to understand:

• the full range of measures taken by the Chinese government
• how they were communicated to the population
• their urban and rural societal effects (as well as their role in containing the virus)
• how the public responded to the measures
• whether public responses fed back to change policies.

As the epidemic evolves in China we will regularly prepare short reports and online or in-person briefings that track policies and discuss evidence of their effects and arising ethical issues to create valuable resources for policy makers internationally.  

Read more: UofG to lead research into China's containment measures

Funder

• Medical Research Council

Total award

• £334,000

Led by

• Professor Kevin Blyth, NHSGGC, University of Glasgow
• Professor Iain McInnes, University of Glasgow

Co-investigator and institutions

• Professor Andrew Biankin, University of Glasgow
• Professor Rob Jones, CRUK Glasgow CTU, University of Glasgow
• Professor Emma Thomson, MRC University of Glasgow Centre of Virus Research
• Dr Janet Scott, MRC University of Glasgow Centre of Virus Research
• Professor Carl Goodyear, University of Glasgow
• Clare Orange, NHSGGC Biorepository
• Dr David Lowe, National Clinical Lead for Digital Health & Clinical Informatics DHI, NHSGGC
• Dr Michael Murphy, Microbiology, NHSGGC

Project summary

Scotland is well-positioned to contribute to the urgent need for COVID-19 treatments. To do this we need to understand the disease and quickly bring new treatments to Scottish patients in trials. We will build the ASTERIX framework, which will be integrated into clinical systems so that frontline staff are not burdened, using repurposed NHS infrastructure and staff. ASTERIX will allow us to learn quickly, while under huge clinical pressures, and streamline patients into trials. Our learning will include how to treat COVID-19 and how to ensure that critical trial results are robust and relevant to Scottish patients.

Funder

Chief Scientist Office 

Total award

£17,000

A randomized controlled study of favipiravir as an early treatment arm of ASTERIX in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

Led by

• Dr Janet Scott, MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions

• Professor Emma Thomson, CVR, NHSGGC, University of Glasgow
• Professor Kevin Blyth, NHSGGC, University of Glasgow
• Professor Rob Jones, CRUK Glasgow CTU, University of Glasgow
• Professor Jim Paul, CRUK Glasgow CTU, University of Glasgow
• Dr Glen Burley, Department of Chemistry, University of Strathclyde
• Dr Samantha Carmichael, NHSGGC

Project summary

Favipiravir is used in Japan to treat influenza and can kill SARS-CoV2 in the laboratory⁴. The drug is safe in healthy volunteers and reached concentrations in the body needed to kill the virus. In China, 35 COVID-19 patients treated with Favipiravir recovered in 4 days compared to those treated with Lopinavir/ritonavir (45 patients) who took 11 days. We propose to treat COVID-19 patients with Favipiravir to see if it improves their chances of recovery without needing admission to intensive care, study what happens once Favipiravir is metabolised by the body, and check for drug resistance.  

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total award

£156,510

Led by

• Professor Rhian Touyz, Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions

From the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital:

• Professor Anna Dominiczak
• Professor Christian Delles
• Professor Tomasz Guzik
• Professor Sandosh Padmanabhan
• Dr Linsay McCallum

Project summary

There is a lot of coverage in the media that certain drugs to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) may worsen COVID-19. However, there is no clinical evidence to support this and there is much confusion for both patients and doctors. Many patients are stopping their hypertension medication, which is dangerous as this could lead to severe heart disease and even death. Our study will examine if hypertensive patients have more severe COVID-19 than patients who do not have pre-existing hypertension. We will also assess if certain blood pressure drugs aggravate or improve infection. This is especially important in Scotland where the rate of hypertension is high. Our study will provide information to guide doctors and patients in the coming months as we treat COVID.

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total award

£79,846

Led by

• Professor Colin Berry, Cardiology & Imaging, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions

• R Wereski, UofE
• D Lower, Clinical Informatics, A&E
• C Church, Pulmonary Vasc Disease
• K Mangion, Cardiology
• A Ho, MRC, University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
• G Roditi, Radiologist
• C Bagot, Haemostatis
• S Wright, Cardiac Pathologist
• Professor A McConnachie, Robert Centre for Biostatistics
• Professor R Touyz, University of Glasgow
• Professor C Delles, University of Glasgow
• Professor N Sattar, Vasc Biomedicine, MHSGGC, University of Glasgow

Project summary

One-in-four patients with COVID-19 pneumonia develop life-threatening heart problems. Our research idea is that virus can directly infect the heart. We will study which patients are at-risk of heart injury and why only some patients suffer heart problems. MRI scans help doctors identify heart damage and its causes and explain NHS tests eg troponin. During a 3-month period, hospitalised patients with COVID-19 will have blood tests and then a heart-lung scan after discharge. We will clarify links between the heart/lungs & risk factors to support development of preventive therapies.

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total award

£47,940

Led by

• Dr Chris Carlin, NRS Senior Investigator, NHSGGC

Co-investigators and institutions

• Dr David Lowe, WoS Innovation Clinical Lead
• Dr Malcolm Sim, NRS Senior Investigator, NHSGGC

SME Partners:

• Dr Bruce Henderson, Forensic Physician / Owner Altair Medical
• Mr Paul McGinness, Director
• Dr Shane Burns, PhD, Lead Data Scientist StormID

Project summary

Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia are at risk for sudden deterioration. Altair wearable sensor measures breathing events to monitor patients at risk for opiate overdose.  The Lenus platform (StormID) is established in NHSGGC for integration and analysis of clinical and sensor data in respiratory patients. We will re-orientate this to gather data about respiratory failure during COVID-19 and develop a dashboard with real-time respiratory monitoring and threshold alerts to monitor COVID-19 patients.

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total Award

£123,850

Led by

• Professor Carl Goodyear, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions

University of Glasgow:

• Professor Massimo Palmarini
• Professor Iain McInnes
• Professor Brian Willett
• Professor Emma Thomson
• Professor Gerard Graham
• Professor Paul Garside
• Professor Naveed Sattar
• Professor Andrew Biankin
• Professor David Robertson
• Dr Janet Scott
• Dr Antonia Ho
• Dr Thomas Otto
• Dr Ana Da Silva Filipe

GGCHB NHS:

• Dr Michael Murphy

Project summary

The clinical outcome of COVID-19 is ultimately determined by viral replication in the face of the host immunity. The latter can either control viral infection or exacerbate disease due to uncontrolled inflammatory processes that damages tissues. Hence, in order to establish the efficacy of antiviral therapies and determine whether stratification can aid clinical decisions in COVID19 patients, we need to identify correlates of disease severity and response to treatment. This proposal aims to fully determine the dynamic viral and immunological changes occurring during the different clinical stages of COVID-19. We will use a clinical trial for Favipiravir (GETAFIX, GLA3), an antiviral drug as our test case to develop our biomarkers but can roll this project out to support other trials within ASTERIX (GLA2).

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total award

£319,473

Led by

• Professor Andrew Roe, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions

• Professor Michael Barrett, University of Glasgow
• Professor Alistair Leonard, University of Glasgow, NHS
• Dr Malcolm Sim, NHS
• Dr Malcolm Watson, NHS

Project summary

The current COVID pandemic has led to an urgent need to better understand how and why certain patients become seriously ill or die. Secondary bacterial infections are a major contributing factor in a proportion of these more serious cases. Using our established methods to study bacterial sepsis, we want to analyse COVID+ patients and perform metabolomics to measure key markers we know are associated with bacterial infection. The result: more accurate and appropriate diagnosis and allocation of anti-bacterial treatment. We will select the most common examples of Gram positive and Gram negative organisms associated with secondary infections for detailed analysis.

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total award

£56,970

Led by

• Dr Katie Robb, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions

• Professor Rory O'Connor, University of Glasgow

Project summary

People have had to change drastically how they live their lives to achieve social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  There is growing concern that social distancing and other quarantining measures introduced by Government will adversely affect general population health and mental health. This proposal aims to understand the nature of the impact of such measures on Scottish people by: i) identifying the key health and mental health concerns and; ii) examining how people’s experiences change over the first 4-months of social distancing. The findings will inform future Government policy and action to prevent or mitigate any adverse effects.

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total award

£37,000

Led by

• Professor Sarah Armstrong, University of Glasgow
• Dr Lucy Pickering, University of Glasgow

Co-investigators and institutions

University of Glasgow

• Dr Oona Brooks Hay
• Dr Chris Bunn
• Dr Nicola Burns
• Dr Alicia Davis
• Dr Caitlin Gormley
• Dr Nughmana Mirza
• Dr Gareth Mulvey
• Dr Ida Norberg
• Dr Teresa Piacentini
• Dr Kristina Saunders
• Dr Marguerite Schinkel
• Dr Phillippa Wiseman
• Professor Michele Burman
• Professor Nick Watson
• Professor Jude Robinson
• Professor Fergus McNeill

Project summary

This research will investigate the impact of behavioural measures in response to COVID-19 on four key vulnerable groups in Scotland and the organisations that support them. It will identify challenges and adaptations, employing qualitative methodologies. Research evidence will be continuously disseminated via a website and outcomes will include developing resources to inform policy development, improve worker training, and support third sector organisations.

Funder

Chief Scientist Office

Total award

£186,869