COVID-19 research information for patients and the public

COVID-19 (sometimes called novel coronavirus) is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus. The UKRI website explains the science behind COVID-19. Corona Virus Disease 2019 is the name that scientists have given the disease.

To keep updated with the latest information, the UK Government has launched a GOV.UK Coronavirus Information service on WhatsApp. 

To use the free GOV.UK Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp, simply add 07860 064422 in your phone contacts and then message the word ‘hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started. Read the Government information about the NHS Test and Trace App.

Over 100,000 UK participants have now enrolled in COVID-19 urgent public health research supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - at NHS hospitals and care settings across the United Kingdom.

Taking part in COVID-19 research is vital to enable effective treatments to be identified, evidenced and made available to NHS patients as quickly as possible.

• COVID-19 treatment study recruits world's first patient at Guy's and St Thomas
  
  
• Research review shows when COVID-19 antibody tests might be effective

• New £1.3 million national research programme to evaluate coronavirus tests in hospitals, general practices and care homes (24 June)

• New risk prediction model could help improve guidance for people shielding from COVID-19 (23 June)

• First human trials of new COVID-19 vaccine to start (16 June)

• First drug to reduce mortality in hospitalised patients with respiratory complications of COVID-19 found (16 June)

• More news 

For the latest news on the NIHRs response to the challenge of COVID-19, visit the NIHR COVID-19 webpage.