In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Glasgow City region has capitalised on opportunities arising from its strengths in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship to help tackle new societal challenges, and provide a platform to recover and re-build.
Here we provide a summary of Glasgow City Region’s activity in October.
Research
The first six weeks of the pandemic and lockdown had a major impact on the UK population’s mental health and wellbeing, according to new research. Led by the University of Glasgow, the study, which is published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found young people, women, individuals from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with pre-existing mental health problems reported the worst mental health outcomes in the initial phase of the national lockdown.
A University of Strathclyde study has suggested that 86 per cent of high risk individuals in the UK would be willing to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 if it were available.
Fears that people with high blood pressure are more at risk from severe COVID-19 because it is easier for the virus to enter their cells and tissues have been laid to rest, thanks to research by an international team of scientists. The team, which includes researches from the University of Glasgow, also show that speculation over some blood pressure lowering medications that they increase the risk of COVID-19 infection, is likely to be wrong.
Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) researchers will play a key role in a new £1.1 million study investigating the impact recent changes in bars and nightclub opening hours has on Scotland’s emergency services, crime levels and health. The project, led by the University of Stirling and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health programme, will focus on Glasgow and Aberdeen – where, prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, some premises had their licenses extended.
Innovation
A new form of digital contact tracing which uses unbreakable encryption to secure personal data could help win the level of public engagement required to fight the spread of COVID-19.
In a new paper published in IEEE Internet of Things Journal, engineers from the University of Glasgow outline how a trustworthy contact tracing system could be built on the unique properties of blockchain technology.
Recovery
A new report calling for additional action to promote a green recovery for Glasgow post-Covid-19 has been put before a council committee.
The Climate Emergency Implementation Plan joins other recent calls for more investment in climate friendly technology to rebuild the Scottish and UK economies.
Glasgow also announced that it has partnered with EarthCheck, a business advisory group specialising in sustainability and destination management, to assist the city to “benchmark its environmental and social performance and to deliver higher standards of health and hygiene in a COVID-19 recovery environment”.
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