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Collecting real time data to support COVID19 care

Published: 28 May 2020
Coronavirus

Southampton scientists are analysing data captured from several hundred patients who have been in hospital with COVID-19, helping them gain important insights into how to treat the disease.

The work is being carried out as part of the ENACT project (Enabling New Approaches for COVID-19 Treatment), which has been supported with donations to the Southampton Coronavirus Response Fund.

The analysis is looking at whether particular factors have an influence on the outcome of people who have COVID-19 infection.

Dr Chris Kipps, Associate Medical Director at University Hospital Southampton, and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Clinical and Experimental Sciences at the University of Southampton, who is co-leading the ENACT project, said: “Allowing our clinical and research teams access to real-time data taken onsite is vital in helping us improve COVID-19 care. We are starting to gain new insights into the disease, and the ability to bring clinical information together in one place and then visualize it is extremely helpful.”

The funding is also being used to facilitate collection and storage of biosamples in the Southampton Research Biorepository, managed by the National Institute for Health Research Southampton Clinical Research Facility and the University of Southampton Biobank.

Easy access to biosamples allows scientists to accelerate their research, something which is desperately needed during a pandemic. However, collection and storage of samples, which otherwise would have been wasted, requires careful planning and available facilities.

The support from the Southampton Coronavirus Response Fund will enable the expansion of the biosample collection and storage, as well as taking consent from participants.

Dr Kipps added: “We are rapidly moving forwards with bringing COVID samples into the Southampton Biorepository for use in research studies. Research teams will use these to improve understanding of COVID19 infection. It is very encouraging progress. ENACT is bringing University researchers and hospital clinicians together to fight this disease and we are very grateful for all the donations given to help support us in this work.”

The Southampton Coronavirus Response Fund was launched at the beginning of April and has raised more than £320,000, which is supporting pioneering research projects as well as vulnerable students. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Southampton Coronavirus Response Fund can do so by clicking here.  

 

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