The University community and our partners are contributing in the fight against COVID-19 on a local and national level. We are proud to be supporting NHS staff and contributing to efforts to protect people from the disease and help them deal with the many impacts it is having on people’s lives. We are sharing some of these stories through the #WeAreTogether campaign.
We have donated 100 webcams to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and Royal Brompton Hospital in west London, loaned lab equipment used to test frontline health and care workers, contributing to the increased need for testing capacity for COVID-19, and opened up our car parks for NHS staff to use free of charge.
Our virologists and pharmacists are also contributing to the global efforts to understand the virus to provide better diagnostic testing and develop trial vaccines. We are carrying out research on synthetic versions of the virus protein, and technology to provide rapid diagnostic testing to show who has had the disease in the past.
Academics across the University have been providing accurate and expert information in response to the widespread demand for evidence-based information through the media, on a range of topics related to coronavirus and its effects on society. We have launched a free online course open to anyone, COVID-19: Helping Young People Manage Low Mood and Depression, and are continuing to provide advice for those in isolation, including on how to talk about COVID-19 with anxious children, helping children cope with social distancing, and home-schooling tips for parents.
Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading said:
“We have to work together. I am really proud of the role the University of Reading is playing – in research into vaccines and diagnostic testing, in the way we use our facilities to support the NHS, and the way our colleagues and students are making themselves available to support local charities and organisations.”
For information about how we are supporting you or how you can support each other please visit the Essentials webpages.