LSHTM Viral

S3E10: Season 3 reflections and goodbye for now! Aug 13, 2021

Join Amy and Karl as they reflect on the LSHTM Viral season 3. They discuss how far have we come with vaccinations worldwide and key takeaways from the expert discussions throughout the season. Thank you to all the experts who appeared on the podcast and the dedicated LSHTM Viral listeners that helped LSHTM Viral win a Gold CASE Award for Digital Communications (Frequent Podcast Category). Goodbye for now!

S3E9: Where are we with COVID-19 vaccines and what’s next? Jul 21, 2021

In this episode of LSHTM Viral, Karl Byrne speaks with Beate Kampmann, Professor of Paediatric Infection & Immunity and Director of the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. They delve into the future of vaccines, our perception of risk and how vaccination programmes are going to be monitored in the future. Beate answers burning audience questions including, “Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for pregnant women?”.

You can find the LSHTM vaccine tracker here: https://vac-lshtm.shinyapps.io/ncov_vaccine_landscape/

S3E8: Vaccine equity - it's not over everywhere unless we share Jun 01, 2021

The explosive COVID-19 outbreak in India has shone a striking light on one of the biggest moral issues of our time - vaccine equity. Subsequent halting of vaccine exports is severely affecting Africa and developing countries, and although 1.9 billion doses have been administered globally, many developing countries are yet to receive a single dose. In this episode we are joined by two global health leaders, Professor Peter Piot and Dr. Ayoade Alakija, who discuss vaccine nationalism, COVID-19 in Africa, and possible routes to improving health equity in the future.

S3E7: Signed, sealed, delivered - vaccine purchasing and distribution May 20, 2021

How do countries get access to COVID-19 vaccines in the first place? In this episode, Prof Daniel Bausch of LSHTM shares his thoughts on the global vaccine purchasing and distribution systems. An expert in the control of emerging viruses, Dan also discusses with host Naomi Stewart what the focus on COVID-19 means for other vaccination programmes and trials, how the pandemic may end, and how prepared we will be for future epidemics and pandemics.
If you would like to get in contact with the team, or if you have a question you would like to ask our experts, you can email us:comms@lshtm.ac.uk.

S3E6: From lab to jab - How to make a vaccine May 11, 2021

This week, Karl Byrne talks about the latest vaccination figures as well as other breaking COVID-19 news, including an exciting citizen science project where over the last year gamers playing EVE Online- a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, have carried out real world research that would have taken scientists over 330 years to complete.

In our main feature, Karl tells the incredible story of how the Pfizer-BioNTech is manufactured. The journey begins with a small, frozen tube of viral DNA in a facility in America's Midwest, involves travelling across states, and even continents, ending almost 2 months later with millions of doses of vaccine ready to be shipped to vaccination centres across the USA, Europe and beyond.

If you would like to get in contact with the team, or if you have a question you would like to ask our experts, you can email us: comms@lshtm.ac.uk

Background music for the main feature is from MaxKoMusic

S3E5: Who gives the green light for COVID-19 vaccines anyway? Apr 20, 2021

Who are the experts and groups around the world approving and regulating the new COVID-19 vaccines? And what do they need to consider amidst the urgency of vaccinating the world? In this episode ahead of World Immunization Week, Naomi Stewart speaks to Prof Annelies Wilder-Smith from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Prof Smith sits on WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, and walks us through the decisions involved in approving different vaccines - and how it could happen so quickly.
If you would like to get in contact with the team, or if you have a question you would like to ask our experts, you can email us: comms@lshtm.ac.uk

S3E4: How do we know vaccines are safe? Apr 08, 2021

In this episode we explore the crucial stages of clinical trials and testing vaccines. How do clinical trials account for different demographics? How do we know vaccines are safe for everyone? We are joined by Dr Ed Parker, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and member of the Vaccine Centre. Ed walks us through the purpose of a clinical trial and its roots in ancient history, and provides insight behind LSHTM’s vaccine tracker.

Link to LSHTM short course on clinical trials: https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/courses/short-courses/clinical-trials

S3E3: What's in a vaccine? Mar 24, 2021

Vaccines have arguably made the greatest contribution to global health of any human intervention apart from the introduction of clean water and sanitation. With new vaccines being developed at an incredible rate to tackle the current pandemic, we take a look at how vaccines work and what goes into each shot.

Karl is joined by Helen Fletcher, Professor of Immunology at LSHTM, to take a look at what goes into a vaccine, how you design one and how the COVID-19 vaccines were created so quickly and safely. They also dispel some of the myths floating around about vaccines.

Professor Beate Kampmann, Director of the Vaccine Centre at LSHTM, also stops by to answer some questions sent in by you, our listeners.

You can find the video on vaccine safety that Karl and Beate talk about here.

Learn more about the Vaccine Centre here.

If you would like to get in contact with the team, or if you have a question you would like to ask our experts, you can email us: comms@lshtm.ac.uk

S3E2: A brief history of vaccines Mar 09, 2021

How did vaccines come to be and how have they changed over time? In today's episode, Naomi Stewart speaks to historian Dr Gareth Millward from the University of Warwick, on the history of vaccines and how vaccination programmes have evolved in the 20th century. Professor Liam Smeeth from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine then walks us through the vaccine landscape at the turn of the 21st century, and public perceptions and attitudes towards vaccination in a COVID-19 world.

S3E1: Will vaccination end the COVID-19 pandemic? Feb 23, 2021

Welcome back to a new season of LSHTM Viral, where we will be taking a deep-dive into vaccines and speak to experts working real-time on COVID-19. LSHTM modeller Roz Eggo reacts to the UK’s roadmap announcement on 22 February for easing lockdown restrictions, explaining the science behind the government's decision and how vaccination will forge a way out of the pandemic. John Edmunds, a UK government science advisor and professor of infectious disease at LSHTM discussed how new, potentially dangerous variants of the virus can emerge and key considerations for vaccination at this scale.

Season 3 trailer Feb 17, 2021

Launching February 23rd 2021

Vaccines are widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements of modern civilization, but how vaccines work, How do you create a vaccine? And perhaps most importantly, how do you produce enough to vaccinate the entire world?

Join Karl Byrne, Amy Thomas and Naomi Stewart every fortnight as they explore the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and take a deep dive into vaccines and vaccinations. They will be talking about the latest pandemic news, answering your vaccine questions and speaking to experts from LSHTM and beyond, as they explore the past, present and future of vaccines.

Find out more on our LSHTM podcast website.

S2E8: The future depends on planetary health Jan 06, 2021

How exactly did planetary health come to be, and where is it headed? In this season finale, we speak to two pioneers of the field - Prof Andy Haines of LSHTM and Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet. They discuss the urgency of embedding planetary health into the policy agenda, the benefits of increased public engagement with science during COVID-19, and how to address the inequalities that could hamper our efforts.

Bonus: Vaccine Special - Confident or hesitant? Dec 03, 2020

Welcome to a special episode of LSHTM Viral! The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, with mass national roll out following as early as the next couple of weeks. Karl is joined in this episode by Dr Pauline Paterson, Dr Sadie Bell, and Prof Liam Smeeth of LSHTM, as they take a look at the factors that affect people's confidence and hesitance around vaccines, how the recent news might affect peoples perceptions of vaccines, and discuss some of the logistical and communication challenges that the UK faces in vaccinating the population.

If you would like to get in touch with your questions and comments, we'd love to hear from you! You can email us: comms@lshtm.ac.uk

S2E7: Blue sky thinking - using satellites to track air pollution Nov 26, 2020

We hear a lot about reducing air pollution, but why do we need to? Join Amy, Naomi and Karl exploring the ins and outs of air pollution including, how the particles affect the human body, and where they come from. We turn to new research that uses machine learning, satellite data and on-the-ground monitors to build a highly detailed pollution map of Great Britain, revealing exciting avenues for the future of air pollution and health research. Contributions from LSHTM's Prof Paul Wilkinson and Prof Antonio Gasparrini.

S2E6: What if we can't handle the heat? Nov 19, 2020

Will climate change make it too hot for humans to live? In today's planetary health episode of LSHTM Viral, we explore the deathly impacts of excess heat driven by global warming. Shakoor Hajat explains what actually happens to our body during heat stress and how that's causing increases in mortality and morbidity worldwide, and Ana Bonell shares a case study from her PhD research on how hot temperatures are affecting pregnant farmers - and their foetuses - in West Africa. Both researchers also explain why, despite the challenges, they are still hopeful.

S2E5: What do we know about climate change & COVID-19? Nov 12, 2020

The links between the environment and infectious diseases are extremely complicated with many factors to consider. With a novel virus like COVID-19, there are still many unknowns. In this episode, we ask expert ecologist, Dr Kris Murray, about the emergence of COVID-19 from bats in the Wuhan food market and how this relates to environmental change. Dr Rachel Lowe enlightens us with the latest evidence on environmental influences on other diseases, and what this could tell us about COVID-19 transmission risk in the future.

S2E4: Environmental changes and infectious disease Nov 05, 2020

From Africa’s meningitis belt to the link between malaria and rice cultivation, and from mosquitoes in the Mekong Delta to mangoes in Mexico, the links between environmental change and infectious diseases are complex and, at times, surprising.

Join Karl Byrne, Amy Thomas and guests as they delve into this fascinating topic.

Karl and Amy chat about the US Presidential election and how it could impact America’s efforts towards curbing climate change going forward. Karl is also joined by Professor Martin Antonio from MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM and LSHTM PhD candidate Kallista Chan to talk about their research on two very different infectious diseases that are affected by environmental changes - bacterial meningitis and malaria - as well as the complex interactions between human impact on the environment and its effects on other diseases.

If you would like to get in touch with the team , you can email us at comms@lshtm.ac.uk

You can find out more about the Centre of Climate Change and Planetary Health her e.

S2E3: Food, Health and Sustainability - Part 2 Oct 29, 2020

What role does the private sector play in achieving sustainable yet nutritious food systems? In today's episode, Naomi Stewart explores the relationship between the private sector and climate change when it comes to the production of food, from small scale farmers to the mass industrialisation of plant-based alternatives.
Our first guest is Francesca Harris, a PhD student at LSHTM who discusses the impacts of farming on water resources in India, and the ways that academia should or could interact with the private sector. Then, we speak to Adam Cheney, a R&D Manager at V2 - an Australian startup looking to develop scalable plant-based protein alternatives - about the perspective of the private sector and their mutual interest in a healthy, sustainable food future.
Find out more about the Centre of Climate Change and Planetary Health.

S2E2: Food, Health and Sustainability - Part 1 Oct 22, 2020

Healthy and sustainable diets are essential for planetary health. Poor diets are a leading cause of ill health and death globally, and the food system is responsible for between 20% and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. On-going environmental changes are also having a direct impact on food production, and without substantial efforts to adapt to the new environmental conditions, the food system will struggle to deliver healthy and sustainable diets for all.

In this episode, Karl Byrne has a chat with Professor Alan Dangour, the Director of LSHTM's Centre of Climate Change and Planetary Health, and Pauline Scheelbeek, Assistant Professor of Nutritional and Environmental Epidemiology, about the challenges our food systems face and what we have to do to ensure healthy, nutritional and sustainable food supplies to feed the world's ever growing population.

Find out more about the Centre of Climate Change and Planetary Health.

S2E1: Introducing LSHTM Viral Season 2 - What is Planetary Health? Oct 15, 2020

Welcome to LSHTM Viral Season 2, which deep dives into planetary health with researchers from the newly formed Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health at LSHTM, and other experts. In this episode we introduce the podcast team, Naomi Stewart, Karl Byrne and Amy Thomas. Sir Andy Haines, former director of LSHTM, also joins us to explain how the term planetary health came about, and why he became interested in this area.

S1E39 (Bonus episode): Vaccine Confidence Sep 11, 2020

In this bonus episode, we speak to Prof Heidi Larson, Director of the 'Vaccine Confidence Project'. Heidi and her team have just published a 5 year study looking at public confidence in vaccines worldwide across 149 countries. She discusses increases and declines in confidence, and what can be done to understand these different views in order to increase confidence and optimise vaccine uptake, which will be crucial with the hopeful arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine.

S1E38: A modern history of pandemics and public health: Where does COVID-19 fit in? Aug 28, 2020

In our final episode of LSHTM Viral's first season, we dive into the history of pandemics and public health in the last few centuries, from the bubonic plague to AIDS and H1N1. Researchers from the Centre for History in Public Health explore how COVID-19 fits into this history, and how the past has shaped how we are responding to the crisis now.

S1E37: World Mosquito Day 2020: How does COVID-19 impact the fight against malaria? Aug 20, 2020

For World Mosquito Day 2020, we explore the impact of COVID-19 on malaria control and prevention. A recent report from WHO says the continued disruption to malaria prevention could revert mortality to levels seen two decades ago. In this episode we speak to Prof of Epidemiology and Global Health, Sian Clarke, Co-Director of the Malaria Centre at LSHTM and Dr Corine Ngufor, Assistant Prof of Medical Entomology explains how we can adapt current malaria campaigns in West Africa while maintaining safety from COVID-19 transmission. More information: www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres/malaria-centre

S1E36: Tracking COVID-19 rumours in Africa Aug 13, 2020

COVID-19 cases are starting to rise across Africa. Researchers at The MRC Unit The Gambia, LSHTM, have developed a COVID-19 rumour tracking app to combat rumours and misinformation about COVID-19 circulating amongst the populations in The Gambia and neighbouring Senegal. Social Scientific Lead Dr Melisa Martinez-Alvarez, and Social Scientific Officer Lamin Leigh explain why the tracking app is needed and how it works. Link to the tracker: https://apps.mrc.gm/informationtracker

S1E35: COVID-19 Live Q&A #4 with Peter Piot, John Nkengasong & Sarah Boseley Jul 30, 2020

We bring you our fourth live Covid-19 Q&A, broadcast on Twitter and YouTube on 28 July with Professor Peter Piot, Director of LSHTM, Dr John Nkengasong, first Director of Africa CDC and presented by Sarah Boseley, Health Editor at The Guardian.

S1E34: Ask Prof Peter Piot and Dr John Nkengasong your questions on COVID-19 Jul 23, 2020

Next Tuesday 28th July we are hosting our fourth COVID-19 Live Q&A with Peter Piot, Director of LSHTM, and John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC. Join our Q&A streamed on LSHTM’s Twitter and YouTube channels to ask your questions direct to world-leading experts with moderation by Sarah Boseley, Health Editor at The Guardian.

S1E33: Looking back to think ahead Jul 02, 2020

It has now been six months since the first case of COVID-19 was announced in China. There are over 10.5 million infections worldwide, and tragically 500,000 deaths. We listen back to our very first episode with LSHTM's Prof John Edmunds in January, where he acknowledges the likelihood of the disease arriving in the UK, the day before the first case was announced.

S1E32: Controlling the spread of disease with the help of social science Jun 25, 2020

The way people act and behave inside health clinics can impact the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, TB and Ebola. Understanding how this happens is essential for effective, long-lasting public health solutions. We speak to Alison Swartz, Aaron Karat and Karina Kielmann who work through a 'systems approach' that includes social science, anthropology and epidemiology in infection prevention control in South Africa.

S1E31: Building a healthy and sustainable economy post-pandemic Jun 18, 2020

Efforts to curb the devastating effects of COVID-19 have halted the global economy and left governments striving to repair the damage. As we tackle the global recession in the wake of this pandemic, there’s a unique opportunity to push ahead on sustainable policies for our future. Sir Andy Haines, previous director of LSHTM and Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health explains how governments can put health and sustainability and the heart of our economic recovery.

S1E30: What is the impact of racism and colonialism on healthcare? Jun 11, 2020

As the momentum behind Black Lives Matter and placing social justice before social distancing grows worldwide, we speak to Dr Lioba Hirsch, a Research Fellow who is studying the colonial history of LSHTM. Dr Hirsch walks us through some of the challenges faced by Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people during COVID-19, what the impact of racism within healthcare systems looks like, and how we can start facing the legacy of colonialism in global health.

S1E29: Working to protect our communities: A brief reflection Jun 05, 2020

Amidst the tragic headlines, we look at highlights from our previous LSHTM Viral episodes to reflect on the global efforts to protect those most vulnerable to disease and health burdens.

S1E28: Developing a COVID-19 vaccine - are we close? May 29, 2020

In this episode we speak to Professor Beate Kampmann, Director of the The Vaccine Centre at LSHTM. We ask Beate about the latest progress in finding a vaccine for COVID-19 and discuss the challenges of producing one on such an enormous scale. Vaccine candidate tracker: bit.ly/2BbkJ09

S1E27: Is it paw-sible for dogs to detect COVID-19? May 27, 2020

Medical detection dogs have previously been able to sniff out malaria, cancer, Parkinson's, and other disease. Could they now be trained to detect COVID-19? Prof James Logan of LSHTM discusses the current research under way with Clare Guest of Medical Detection Dogs and Prof Steve Lindsay of Durham University, and how puppers may be deployed at airports and other ports of entry to identify people carrying the disease.

S1E26: The one that finally got me: Peter Piot’s battle with COVID-19 May 21, 2020

In his first interview since being hospitalised with COVID-19, LSHTM Director and world-leading virologist Peter Piot gives a personal account of his experience with the novel coronavirus. He shares lessons learned from his work on Ebola and HIV, the role of survivors in the COVID-19 response, and his renewed mission for tackling the pandemic.

S1E25: Your questions. Expert answers #3 *Modelling Special* – LSHTM Viral LIVE May 07, 2020

Broadcast on 1 May, we ran a third live Q&A session with two of our infectious disease modelling experts, Professor John Edmunds and Dr Petra Klepac of LSHTM. John and Petra answer on a range of topics proposed by the audience including how modelling provides evidence to COVID-19 policy, modelling the lockdown exit in the UK, ideal data sets and limitations of modelling an outbreak. To watch the livestream go to: https://twitter.com/LSHTM/status/1256181729171329024?s=20

S1E24: Children's mental health during COVID-19: How can they cope? May 05, 2020

Without their social networks and the same understanding of the pandemic as adults, children may be struggling with their mental health and well-being during COVID-19. Professor James Logan from LSHTM has recently co-authored a book with illustrator Lydia Monk to help children and parents cope with coronavirus, and together with child psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, discusses how to manage these challenges at home.

S1E23: New virus, new life: Will this pandemic affect pregnancy? Apr 27, 2020

What do we know about the impact of viruses on pregnancy? Can vaccine trials involve pregnant women? And how has the process of labour changed in light of COVID-19? We discuss all of this and more with maternal and newborn health expert, Professor Joy Lawn of LSHTM.

S1E22: Anthropogenic pandemic: COVID-19 and climate change Apr 24, 2020

Human health is influenced by earth’s natural systems, the wildlife around us, and the environment we create. The spread of infectious diseases may be linked climate factors and animals, but the consequences can tell us even more about the health of people, and of our planet. In this episode, Dr Rachel Lowe, Associate Professor in infectious diseases and Professor Alan Dangour, Director for the Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health at LSHTM, discuss COVID-19 and climate change.

S1E21: Reducing the toll of COVID-19 in Africa: What can be done? Apr 21, 2020

Is Africa the new COVID-19 epicentre? Professor Francesco Checchi of LSHTM discusses his latest paper, using mathematical modelling to look at what can be done in low-resource settings across the continent, and how to protect the most vulnerable populations without the human and economic costs of total lockdown.

S1E20: COVID-19 - high stakes in low-resource settings Apr 09, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting each country differently. Healthcare structures, the government and the characteristics of a particular population create unique challenges that require a tailored response. Dr Mishal Khan and Professor Rashida Ferrand from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine explain key issues that Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs) are facing, and Dr Abdul Sesay from MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM describes how the Unit is using the latest genomic advancements to trace the virus.

S1E19: Clinical trials and international collaborations Apr 03, 2020

Can the world work together to find COVID-19 treatments and vaccines? We speak with Professor Dan Bausch, a physician and virologist specialising in emerging tropical viruses, and Director of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team. He shares insights into new international collaborations that aim to harmonise clinical trials and research to end the pandemic worldwide.

S1E18: Your questions. Expert answers #2 - LSHTM Viral LIVE Mar 27, 2020

Streaming remotely from our homes, we bring you another live COVID-19 Q&A, broadcast on Twitter and YouTube on 25 March 2020. Heidi Larson, an anthropologist and Professor of Risk and Decision Science at LSHTM, and Jimmy Whitworth, Professor of International Public Health at LSHTM, answer questions from social media in real-time.

S1E17: Is washing your hands enough? Mar 20, 2020

Is hand-washing enough to stop the spread of COVID-19? In this episode, LSHTM professor Wendy Graham joins Prof Stephanie Dancer from NHS Lanarkshire to explain the science behind hand-washing and give tips on keeping clean during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sam Tweed, a medical doctor studying public health at LSHTM, makes a special guest appearance to demonstrate how to clean a surface correctly

S1E16: Changing the way we live to fight COVID-19 Mar 18, 2020

The UK's response to COVID-19 has dramatically changed in recent days. Dr. Adam Kucharski, outbreak modeller from LSHTM is working to provide robust scientific evidence for the government and other decision-makers. Adam talks us through the evidence behind the government's response at this time, and shares his thoughts about the outbreak and it’s social impacts long-term.

S1E15: On the frontlines of the pandemic in the UK Mar 16, 2020

We speak to Professor Liam Smeeth, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health at LSHTM, and also a practising GP in north London. As cases spread across Europe, Prof Smeeth discusses what it's like on the frontlines of UK healthcare, the value of the NHS, and also shares his recent experiences in self-isolation.

S1E14: Your questions. Expert answers – LSHTM Viral LIVE Mar 10, 2020

Broadcast on 5 March 2020, we ran a live Q&A session with two of our outbreak experts, Professor Jimmy Whitworth and Dr Roz Eggo. Jimmy and Roz answer on a range of topics proposed by the audience including vaccines, current public health measures at the time, school closures, transmission rates and travel advice. To watch the video go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dwQkWqWHcw

S1E13: Turning the tide on COVID-19: lessons from the Diamond Princess Mar 04, 2020

In this episode we speak to Annelies Wilder-Smith, Professor of Emerging Infectious Disease at LSHTM. With a team of scientists, she has just published a paper on the success and failures of quarantining the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with their research showing earlier evacuation we could have prevented hundreds of passengers and crew becoming infected, and what this means for other countries and their policies going forward. We'll be answering your questions on COVID19 LIVE Thursday 5th March 12:30 : bit.ly/3cxmX84

S1E12: Communicating COVID-19: behind the scenes with LSHTM’s press office Mar 02, 2020

In a special behind-the-scenes episode, we here at LSHTM share what it is actually like to be working on communications during COVID-19. James Barr, Media Manager of LSHTM’s Press Office, takes us through a day in the life of a PR professional during a global outbreak, explains the critical role of university press offices in linking academics to the media when there is such high demand for experts, and describes how the global network of communications professionals are all working hard to ensure accurate information is being shared.

S1E11: Misinformation contagion Feb 26, 2020

Misinformation during an outbreak has serious consequences, but how do we prevent it? Professor Heidi Larson, Director of Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and former head of immunisation communication at UNICEF discusses public trust in science and how this is effecting COVID-19 outbreak control. She also talks about wider issues of public health communication including the role of social media, schools and the introduction of new vaccines.

S1E10: Viruses don’t discriminate Feb 21, 2020

There are now daily reports in the media of racist abuse and attacks against Chinese and East Asian people due to the coronavirus outbreak. We speak to LSHTM statistician Edmond Ng and Jabez Lam from Hackney Chinese Community Services about the experiences of London’s Chinese community, LSHTM student Kazuki Shimizu reflects on the situation in Japan, and LSHTM social scientist Leesa Lin looks at the evidence on discrimination and disease outbreaks. For anyone affected by racist attacks as a result of COVID-19, information and support is available at https://bit.ly/3bWqKLU. You can read Kazuki’s correspondence to The Lancet at https://bit.ly/39SqyLT. Please keep sending your questions about the science behind the outbreak to comms@lshtm.ac.uk.

S1E9: Prevention, protection, and paediatrics during COVID-19 Feb 19, 2020

Can we protect ourselves from COVID-19? Dr Shunmay Yeung is a paediatrician who specialises in infectious diseases, and was one of the first LSHTM responders to the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Here, she discusses personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers during outbreaks, advice for how the public can best protect themselves, and why children don’t seem to be affected by COVID-19.

S1E8: The global response to the COVID-19 outbreak Feb 14, 2020

Having worked with the WHO for more than 22 years, David Heymann is renowned as one of the world’s leading disease control experts. In a wide-ranging chat, David discusses the global response to COVID-19, the challenges faced by policymakers and his experiences of dealing with outbreaks.

S1E7: Using mathematics to help control COVID-19 Feb 13, 2020

Dr Adam Kucharski talks us through mathematical modelling – what it is and its crucial role during disease outbreaks like the novel coronavirus. He also explores the implications of using certain language during outbreaks, and answers a question from one of our listeners. To discover LSHTM’s latest modelling work visit https://cmmid.github.io/ncov.

S1E6: What do you want to know about COVID-19? Feb 12, 2020

We want to hear from you! Please get in touch by emailing comms@lshtm.ac.uk and let us know what you would like to hear on the podcast. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes with top outbreak-modeller Adam Kucharski and Professor David Heymann who led the WHO’s response to SARS in 2003.

S1E5: Coronavirus - will it become a pandemic? Feb 07, 2020

Is coronavirus on it's way to becoming a full pandemic? Professor Peter Piot is Director of LSHTM, founding executive director of UNAIDS and was a member of the original team that discovered Ebola in 1976. He explains why he thinks coronavirus will become a pandemic, how this is worrying for sub-Saharan Africa, and what we need for epidemic preparedness.

S1E4: Diagnosis... coronavirus? Feb 05, 2020

How do we diagnose coronavirus? Martin Hibberd Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases at LSHTM talks us through the current tests for coronavirus and what infectious disease experts hope for the future. He explains the typical features of viruses like this, including different strains and potential mutations.

S1E3: Slowing the spread of coronavirus Feb 03, 2020

With the first death outside China, what is the potential scope for coronavirus to spread further? Jimmy Whitworth is a Professor of International Public Health at LSHTM with almost 40 years’ experience in the spread of infectious disease. He provides an expert view on outbreak responses through history and how this current outbreak compares, and also answers our questions on face masks, vaccines, and what’s next.

S1E2: Africa prepares for coronavirus Jan 31, 2020

As the outbreak evolves daily, what is Africa doing to prepare in case coronavirus reaches the continent? Professor Martin Antonio of the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM has previously worked in epidemic responses in Nigeria. He explains how the MRC Unit’s genomic sequencing labs are ready to help African scientists respond to the threat of coronavirus reaching their shores, and what the African CDC’s plans are.

S1E1: Tracking the new coronavirus Jan 30, 2020

Our first guest on LSHTM Viral is Professor John Edmunds, who specialises in mathematical modelling for infectious diseases. John, who was awarded an OBE for real-time modelling during the Ebola crisis, explains where we are with coronavirus now and how we can use data to control the outbreak.

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