News about Covid-19
News about Covid-19
COVID-19 recovery in the housing market
House prices have fallen by over 3% in the past 12 months but the market has seen a slight recovery as Ireland exited lockdown.
Luke O’Neill on latest COVID-19 developments
As restrictions lift in Ireland and further afield, Professor Luke O’Neill talks about a possible second wave.
Face masks should be mandatory in Irish shops
Kingston Mills, TCD immunologist said the requirement to wear masks on public transport should be extended to shops.
Impact of COVID-19 on the rental market
Trinity economist Ronan Lyons discusses the changes in rental prices due to COVID-19 disruptions in the construction sector.
We cannot wish the virus away
Are we doing enough to stop the virus or will a second surge force us into another lockdown? Can COVID-19 be crushed, and if so, how?
We must test and trace to avoid new surge
Testing and tracing has allowed for an incredibly quick flattening of the curve in South Korea. Ireland may need to do the same, according to David McConnell, fellow Emeritus at Trinity College Dublin
New study finds female leaders are doing better during COVID19
New research from Trinity and the University of Pretoria found that in countries with women in positions of leadership, the average number of days with confirmed deaths was 34 versus 48 in countries ruled by men.
Department of health advises use of vitamin D supplement based on scientific advice
Trinty’s Professor Eamon Laird says that while evidence suggests vitamin D can benefit those with COVID19, ’we’re not saying vitamin D is a magic cure’.
Are we moving at the right pace on the COVID19 roadmap?
Professor Luke O’Neill advises the use of face coverings in supermarkets, on public transport and “anywhere indoors or outdoors where social distancing is not possible, such as in large crowds“.
Fatherhood could be the real winner of lockdown
A paper by Trinity’s Dr Jemimah Bailey examines the structural barriers for men who want more involvement with their children. It found that when it comes to fatherhood, men can be in a position of disadvantage.
Why it’s difficult to be a woman in research right now
Trinity’s Prof Clodagh Brook discusses how women in research have been impacted by the COVID19 pandemic, and what can be done to ensure that female researchers continue to be heard.
Brain health research is leaving the lab and coming to your smartphone
Researchers at the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at Trinity have developed a smartphone app which allows them to conduct their research into mental health and dementia beyond the physical confines of a lab.
Time to be ambitious. We need a department of higher education and research
A new Department of Higher Education and Research could become a major driver in Ireland’s efforts to become one of the world’s leading knowledge economies writes Provost Patrick Prendergast.
Avoiding the 3Cs: closed spaces, crowded spaces and close contact
We have the virus on the ropes. It will fight back, but if we keep pummelling, we will beat it, writes Prof Luke O’Neill. To do so, he recommends we take the ’3Cs’ approach.
Prof Luke O’Neill: It’s definitely beatable, COVID19
Black death went away, 1918 flu went away, swine flu went away. It’s beatable, this one, says Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity, Dr Luke O’Neill.
Encouraging signs in early trial of possible COVID19 vaccine
Commenting on a new Beijing based vaccine trial, Professor Kingston Mills said: “The good news is that it is inducing the right kind of immune response.”
Will the pandemic property price be a blip or a tailspin?
Professor Ronan Lyons tracks rents closely through Daft.ie surveys. He says they dropped by 2pc in April, the biggest monthly fall in 11 years, and he expects a further decline this year.
How staying indoors affects your immune system
Trinity’s Professor Rose Kenny, and her team have published data suggesting that European populations with the highest death rates from COVID19, including Spain and Italy, have the lowest levels of vitamin Professor Kenny explains why this is the case.
What if preserving ecosystems could prevent future pandemics?
Scientific update: Luke O’Neill on COVID19
Call for flexibility in government roadmap for reopening business
There should be flexibility applied to the Government’s roadmap for reopening society and business according to professor of international finance and commodities at Trinity, Dr Brian Lucey.
Kingston Mills on finding a vaccine
Professor of experimental immunology at Trinity, Dr Kingston Mills joined Miriam O’Callaghan last night to discuss the most promising COVID19 vaccine trials taking place around the world.
Many new graduates facing uncertain job prospects in the age of COVID19
Director of careers at Trinity, Orla Bannon discusses how graduate prospects are evolving. She said that finance, professional services, law and IT are the most secure areas in the current climate.
Fears over ’generous benefits’ to ease virus crisis misses the point
ECB economist and adjunct Trinity professor Philip Lane has said a key factor in determining how bad the situation becomes will be the confidence to spend and investment among consumers and businesses.
Plan to reopen economy will fail if childcare is not taken seriously
Dr Camille Loftus, adjunct lecturer in Trinity’s school of social work and social policy says that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone must furnish a new plan for safe childcare for all of the State’s workers.
A nation holds its breath: what Ireland can do to avoid a second surge of COVID19
A new wave of coronavirus is literally a matter of life and death for all governments, writes Professor Luke O’Neill.
Health and safety in crèches shouldn’t take precedence over children’s play, say experts
Health and safety, and hygiene in pre-school care settings should not take precedence over the freedom children have to explore and play, according to professor of psychology at Trinity, Dr Nóirín Hayes.
Trinity panel discuss inequality and COVID19
Colm Tóibín, Sheamus Khan and Sucheta Mahajan discuss whether we can ’stop COVID19 from making social inequality worse than ever?’ in the latest Trinity Long Room Hub rethinking democracy series.
New thermal cameras may not detect COVID19 experts warn
As Irish hospitals begin setting up thermal cameras, experts are criticising the technology. Trinity’s Dr Seamus O’Shaughnessy says they ’have potential but are fraught with problems’.
Kingston Mills on Trinity’s COVID19 trails
In the latest Business Post podcast, Professor Kingston Mills joins Nadine O’Regan to discuss his co-leadership of Trinity’s immunology project which is aiming to find solutions to the COVID19 pandemic.
Up to 25% of COVID19 cases in US can be traced back to one individual
Professor Luke O’Neill joins Pat Kenny to discuss how the virus took root in the US and how one quarter of cases can now be traced back to one individual in Seattle.
COVID19: Adults should take vitamin D researchers say
The Government should immediately change recommendations for vitamin D supplements as a matter of urgency by urging all adults to take them during the coronavirus pandemic, according to researchers at Trinity.
BCG-induced trained immunity: Can it offer protection against COVID19?
Healthcare, contact tracing and life after the pandemic
Post pandemic: Professor Tomas Ryan talks to Joe Duffy about what steps need to be taken to for normal life to resume in Ireland.
Working from home: How to support people with disabilities in the workforce
Marie Devitt and Barbara Ringwood from Trinity’s Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities outline how employers can support people with disabilities in their organisation while working remotely.
The huge gamble: Keeping schools shut may damage our children’s prospects
Research: Testing for virus tracing app pushed to end of month
Testing of the HSE’s COVID19 tracing app is to be postponed until the end of this month following a Trinity study which raised concerns around the accuracy of the technology.
Herd immunity in Ireland is almost impossible without a vaccine
Professor Kingston Mills outlines why the study of Immunology will play a pivotal role in the development and implementation of antibody testing.
COVID19: Precision of tracing apps in doubt following TCD study
A Trinity led study has cast doubts over the accuracy of contact tracing apps that use a phone’s Bluetooth technology - a core feature of the version being worked on by the Irish government.
The UN and COVID19: A chance to win back support for their human rights framework
As well as coordinating a medical response, the UN could also oversee national approaches to constraints placed on rights as a result of the coronavirus outbreak writes Dr Donna Lyons, Assistant Professor at Trinity’s school of law.
Professor Luke O’Neill urges government to change policy on face masks
Professor Luke O’Neill spoke to The Pat Kenny show about why he believes people should be covering their faces while out shopping or on public transport and why government should implement a strict policy on face masks.
Study: Is working from home changing our voice?
A study led by Trinity’s Dr Ciaran Kenny is seeking participants for an online survey to find out whether extended periods of working from home affects how we speak.
Research finds Chinese students experiencing increased racism since pandemic
Overseas students from China are experiencing racism and discrimination following the outbreak of the coronavirus according to a study by researchers at Trinity, the Open University and the University of Surrey.
Lockdown: It‘s not about how we get out, it‘s about how we stay out
Professor Tomás Ryan looks at how Ireland will function as a society for 12-18 months after restrictions are lifted, while preventing future infection surges and lockdowns.
Reopening Ireland and the route to recovery
Low staff vaccination rates and lack of single rooms in hospitals threaten patient safety, while the health sector’s view that it has been starved of cash is wrong, writes Professor Sean Barry.
Coronavirus: How can jury trials resume amid social distancing rules?
Associate professor of law at Trinity College, Dublin, David Kenny, said the idea of holding ordinary trials before non-jury courts would definitely raise constitutional questions.
Inside the Irish lab trying to combat COVID19
Professor Luke O‘Neill and a team of researchers from Trinity are collaborating with labs in the Netherlands and Belgium on developing an antiviral drug that they hope will combat COVID19.
Contact tracing: Why app‘s success will be a numbers game
Ireland will soon get a contact-tracing app to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. But will it work? Professor Doug Leith of Computer Science explains.
Professor Luke O‘Neill shows us how to make a face mask
Professor Luke O‘Neill has been advocating for people to wear face masks as he believes they are the key to halting the spread of coronavirus. In a video he shows how to make one at home.
Will a funding shortfall offer harsh lessons for universities
Provost Patrick Prendergast joined Pat Kenny to discuss the outcome of COVID19 for Irish third level and why the sector needs funding now more than ever before.
Luke O‘Neill talks trialling drugs for COVID19
As the race to find a vaccine heats up, Professor Luke O‘Neill and colleagues are testing the viability of anti-inflammatory and anti-viral drugs as a treatment for COVID19.
Research and innovation: Rapid responses to COVID19 Ireland
Professor Catherine Darker has received HRB funding to create a public health toolbox to guide both public health and political leadership for COVID19 research on the island of Ireland.
COVID19: Kim Roberts on the science behind easing restrictions
Dr Kim Roberts, Assistant professor of Virology at Trinity discusses the science which informs government decision making around lifting restrictions imposed to quell the spread of COVID19 in Ireland.
ADAPT, OSi initiative opens access to COVID19 data
Researchers at Trinity‘s ADAPT Centre and Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) have opened data access to researchers and app developers to the COVID19 health surveillance monitor. ADAPT has also been working with governments to manage the flow of information about the pandemic across cultural divides.
Link found between vitamin D deficiency and severity of COVID19
Vitamin D deficiency may play an important role in the severity of COVID19 infections according to research led by Trinity. The project which focused on Northern Hemisphere countries was led by Dr Eamon Laird of Trinity‘s Medical School.
So who is immune to COVID19 and how can we tell?
At Trinity, researchers are working to develop more accurate antibody testing for COVID19 to gauge patient immunity to the virus. Professor Tomas Ryan discusses.
Trinity engineers make face masks at home for frontline workers
Mick Reilly from the School of Engineering has relocated six of Trinity‘s 3D Printers to his home in Kildare where he has produced 1,000 face shield frames along with 300 full face shields.
Nuritas uses AI to identify coronavirus fighting peptides
Dr Nigel Stephenson, Professor of Viral Immunology at Trinity looks at how peptides are naturally suited to address infectious diseases.
Provost: Income from overseas students likely to be wiped out
Provost looks at how universities are one of Ireland‘s greatest assets in the COVID19 crisis. He calls on the incoming government for continued support as the sector faces into a bleak post pandemic world.
COVID19: Learnovate offers expertise to support companies
Trinity‘s Learnovate centre is reaching out to offer support to companies who are seeking a way to help Ireland reduce the effects of the pandemic but do not have the resources or expertise to do so on their own.
The precarious journey of vaccine development and access
Conference comments: Professor Luke O‘Neill on the search for a COVID19 vaccine and obstacles that lie in its way including access and funding.
Scientists speak facts: Sometimes that‘s hard to hear
Lives are more important than political careers so we should rely on facts and defer to the experts, argues Professor Luke O‘Neill.
Meet the drones and robots working through COVID19
A 6 minute podcast based on an article written by Dr Boris Galkin of Trinity‘s CONNECT Centre on the use of technology during the COVID19 crisis.
Study:Child immunity responses to COVID19
A new paper on Child Immunity Responses to Coronavirus featuring research from Trinity‘s Paediatrics & Child Health team, led by Professor Molly Elesean has just been published in world renowned research journal - Nature.
Wearing a mask: Study suggests droplets spread by speaking
New research has found that droplets which come from the mouth while speaking are infectious. Professor Luke O’Neill says the research proves everyone should be wearing a mask.
Students unlikely to progress to third level before November
Colleges plan to make up lost time in academic year by cutting short Christmas holidays and reading weeks for first year students.
Coronavirus situation in nursing homes has been ‘chaotic‘
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast yesterday, Amanda Phelan - Professor of Ageing & Community Nursing at Trinity said that the situation in nursing homes has been "chaotic