Virus to be studied on Leeside
UCC is set to begin researching the impact Covid-19 public health measures have had on people around the country, while also studying the genetic makeup of the virus.
It comes after the university was awarded just shy of €200,000 in funding to research the two projects.
The projects are two of 26 proposals awarded as part of a €5m Rapid Response Research, Development and Innovation programme which was introduced to fund research that will provide evidence for the national and global efforts to deal with the virus outbreak.
Professor Ivan Perry of UCC’s School of Public Health will lead a study estimating the burden of symptomatic disease in the community, and the impact of public health measures on physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Prof. Perry’s research will survey thousands of members of the public on their experiences of the pandemic.
These findings, along with other data, will be used to create a mathematical model that will inform decisions on the best levels and duration of physical-distancing measures, balancing a range of factors including capacity of the health service, the effects on well-being, and economic disruption.
The work will be carried out in collaboration with Ipsos, a global market research firm, and in collaboration with the National Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
Prof. Perry said: "We hope that this project will give us a better understanding of both the underlying trends in the burden of symptomatic and asymptomatic Covid-19 infection in the community and the impact of physical distancing and related public health measures on our physical, mental, psychological and social wellbeing.”
Professor Anita Maguire, Vice President for Research & Innovation, UCC, welcomed the awarding of €199,945 for the project.
Meanwhile a project led by Prof. Paul Cotter of Teagasc and UCC’s APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre has also been awarded funding to determine the genetic makeup of the viruses circulating in Ireland, so as to support efforts to respond to clusters of infections as they arise, and minimise the spread of the virus.
The €378,716 award will fund a National Coronavirus Sequencing Consortium that will read and analyse the genetic makeup of the virus in patient samples in Ireland.