THE UK Government is axing funding towards the world’s largest Covid-19 study, in a move that scientists have described as a “really bad mistake”.
Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, who fronts the initiative, called the decision “really disappointing”, stating that they were only given this news with a few weeks notice. “Only a few weeks ago the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was virtually certain that they would continue to fund us," he stated.
He continued: “ZOE is going to be the tool that protects the UK from the next pandemic and saves the NHS millions as we try and discover ways to prevent major diseases.”
ZOE is a study that has three main strands, including the Covid symptom study. Other diseases ZOE conducts research into include heart disease, cancer and dementia.
Their Covid symptom study currently has over 4 million participants, who report how they feel (symptoms or not) into an app. The researchers then use software algorithms to predict who has the virus and track infections across the UK, US and Sweden.
Findings from the ZOE Covid study led to the conclusion that a loss of smell and taste was a key indicator for having contracted Covid, leading to the Government in 2020 adding this to the official list of Covid-19 symptoms.
Other key findings emerging from their research included a confirmation that vaccinated adults contracting Covid experience less severe symptoms in comparison to their unvaccinated counterparts, that early Covid-19 symptoms differ among different age groups, and that those in urban areas and areas of deprivation are disproportionately impacted by Covid.
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It has led to over 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers, which helped to shape government policy in response to the pandemic.
The government have funded the study for the past 18 months. As a short term measure, the three co-owners of ZOE will now fund the study until a long-term funding solution is found.
Scientists from ZOE have encouraged anyone who sees the value in their research to “respectfully and constructively” share their views with the UKHSA, with the hope of encouraging a changed response.
A UKHSA spokesperson said:
“Due to the reduction in serious illness and deaths from COVID-19 we begin a new phase of living with the virus. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 through our world-leading studies and many data sources. We will also be continuing genome sequencing of cases to provide further insights.
“We thank all participants for supporting our surveillance work during the most demanding public health crisis in living memory.”
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