Studies of two pandemic viruses: flu and COVID-19
Peter Openshaw (Imperial College London)
OS6 Oakfield House and online
Hosted by the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit
Summary: The viruses that cause common colds are traditionally thought of as inconvenient, generally mild and untreatable. Although this is largely true, there have been two recent pandemics – one in 2009-10 (H1N1 influenza) and COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)- both of which caused many cases of severe or fatal disease while also causing mild or even inapparent infections. The reasons for the variation in severity are increasingly well understood, in part because of studies of the immunopathogenesis during natural infection and in volunteer challenge studies. This seminar will describe studies of the host immune response to infection with respiratory viruses and the prospects for future pandemics.
Further details can be found on the IEU website: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/integrative-epidemiology/seminars/2022/-ieu-seminar---peter-openshaw.html
See Prof Oppenshaw's research profile: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/p.openshaw