Researchers across the University of Oxford are at the forefront of global efforts to understand the coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect our communities. From vaccine development to mapping, the work involves more than 20 departments from medicine to humanities, and over 500 researchers.

COVID-19: Study shows that Wuhan travel restrictions prevented wider disease spread; but impact takes time

25 March 2020

A mobility and epidemiological study from a global consortium of researchers, led by the University of Oxford, Northeastern University and Harvard Medical School, has shown that travel restrictions from and within Wuhan and Hubei from 23rd January worked to prevent the wider spread of COVID-19.

Oxford's COVID-19 research receives government funding

24 March 2020

Three Oxford-based COVID-19 projects are among the first to benefit from a share of £20 million in government investment.

First patients enrolled in new clinical trial of possible COVID-19 treatments

23 March 2020

Researchers from the University of Oxford have launched a new clinical trial to test the effects of potential drug treatments for patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. The first patients have now been recruited.

Oxford and King’s developing prototype for rapidly deployable ventilator

20 March 2020

An interdisciplinary team of engineers and medics is addressing ways to increase the UK’s capacity for ventilator manufacture.

Oxford scientists develop rapid testing technology for COVID-19

18 March 2020

Scientists from the University of Oxford’s Engineering Science Department and the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR) have developed a rapid testing technology for COVID-19.

Infectious disease experts provide evidence for a coronavirus mobile app for instant contact tracing

17 March 2020

A team of medical research and bioethics experts at Oxford University are supporting several European governments to explore the feasibility of a coronavirus mobile app for instant contact tracing. If rapidly and widely deployed, the infectious disease experts believe such an app could significantly help to contain the spread of coronavirus. 

Coronavirus: why the US is in a mess, and how to fix it

17 March 2020

Peter Drobac, a global health physician and social entrepreneur, is the Director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford's Saïd Business School. He explains why, despite its high per capita spend on health and the large number of health specialists in the country, the USA is playing catch-up when it comes to COVID-19.

Will Hutton on the profound economic and political impacts of COVID-19

16 March 2020

Will Hutton, principal of Hertford College, Oxford and one of Britain’s leading political-economy commentators, says: ‘I think the world will change, just as the debate has changed. Suddenly we have become aware...our lives have been affected. In the last three or four days, there has been a sudden realisation [that we are going to be personally affected]. And we have to pull together.’

Our World In Data

16 March 2020

The flagship output of the Oxford Martin Programme on Global Development, has developed a unique and constantly evolving overview of all the major sources of data on the COVID-19 coronavirus and how they help to answer to the most frequently asked questions about the outbreak. Its resource is accessible to the public and works to convey the most important data-led information in an easy-to-use and easy-to-read way.

COVID-19 'should not necessarily foreshadow an economic downturn'

13 March 2020

Market hysteria over coronavirus may have seen hundreds of points wiped off indexes around the world this week, but Oxford University experts maintain the COVID-19 crisis should not necessarily foreshadow an economic downturn.

China's Announcement on Wildlife Trade - What’s New and What Does It Mean?

12 March 2020

On February 24th 2020, China's top legislature adopted a decision to “thoroughly ban the illegal trading of wildlife and eliminate the consumption of wild animals to safeguard people's lives and health.” The decision has binding force and it took effect on the same day as its promulgation. This article provides a detailed explanation of this decision and is based on discussions within the Oxford Martin Programme on the Illegal Wildlife Trade at the University of Oxford and consultations with Shanshui Conservation Center, based at Peking University in China.

'What does my family want to know about coronavirus?'

11 March 2020

Podcast produced with Prof Christl Donnelly from the Department of Statistics, and a Fellow of St Peter's College. In this episode of the Big Questions podcast, Prof Christl Donnelly, an expert in modelling the spread of disease, is on-hand to provide some answers to the questions everyone’s asking.

Individual response to COVID-19 ‘as important’ as government action

09 March 2020

How individuals respond to government advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19 will be at least as important, if not more important, than government action, according to a new commentary from researchers at the University of Oxford in The Lancet

Our World in Data: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

07 March 2020

On Our World in Data we focus on the world’s largest problems and how to make progress against them - here is an aggregation of the latest research on the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease [COVID-19].

Outbreak: fighting the coronavirus

13 February 2020

What do a mathematician, an epidemiologist, a vaccine developer, a protein crystallographer and a whole bevy of immunologists and infectious disease specialists have in common? Answer: they’re just some of the Oxford University researchers coming together to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

Oxford team to begin novel coronavirus vaccine research

7 February 2020

A research team at Oxford University’s Jenner Institute is preparing to begin clinical testing of a novel coronavirus vaccine candidate.

International research consortium activates clinical study for coronavirus in England and Scotland

31 January 2020

In response the novel coronavirus emergency, the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) has activated its Clinical Characterisation Protocol (CCP) for emerging infections in England and Scotland.

The coronavirus outbreak: the central role of primary care in emergency preparedness and response

28 January 2020

Luke Allen et al explore the role of primary care in the coronavirus outbreak (BJGP Open).

A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concern

24 January 2020

Peter Horby et al explore the early implications of the disease (The Lancet).

Clinical research federation responding to coronavirus outbreak

22 January 2020

The International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) is adapting its existing tools, designed for emerging respiratory pathogens, for the current outbreak of global significance. This is an international resource for facilitating the collection of standardised clinical data on patients hospitalised with suspected or confirmed infection with coronavirus.

The University of Oxford's vaccine development work

Our vaccine work is progressing quickly. To ensure you have the latest information or to find out more about the vaccine trial, please check our latest COVID-19 research news or visit the COVID-19 vaccine trial website.

The University of Oxford's vaccine development work
Close up of syringe and vaccine vial

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