How TLB Member King’s College has been tackling COVID-19

We are all in awe of the speed that the medical community has responded to the pandemic, and as we hear news today (Tues 8 Dec) that Guy’s Hospital in London Bridge has administered its first COVID-19 vaccination we take a look at how another of our members has been at the forefront of battling the virus.

King’s College London’s research excellence in virology, immunology, biomedical engineering and mental health, coupled with its close partnerships with NHS Trusts in south London has enabled it to undertake new research to combat the pandemic and its effects.

By working at pace to improve diagnostics and care for COVID-19, King’s used data from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app to improve understanding of symptoms, and rapidly scaled up testing capacity as a Department of Health and Social Care official partner laboratory.

Another tech innovation has come to the aid of intensive care patients cut off from family and friends. Life Lines has provided an invaluable virtual connection with loved ones via tablets. Supported by King’s Health Partners, Life Lines exemplifies the power of partnership, growing from a local idea to a nationwide initiative in just four weeks. A collaboration between Professor Louise Rose, Professor of Critical Care Nursing at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, Dr Joel Meyer, critical care consultant at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Michel Paquet, CEO of virtual care platform Aetonix, Life Lines has now enabled over 52,000 visits in hospitals across the UK.

King’s staff and students have been supporting the NHS response in London and beyond. Many clinical academics volunteered for frontline roles, including in the Nightingale Hospital at London’s ExCel Centre, while students from their Health Faculties graduated early or completed extended placements to provide additional capacity for the NHS. Alongside this, staff from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience are providing psychological support within South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

The King’s community has also shared time, skills and resources with those most in need. To combat the PPE shortage, students and staff from the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences worked around the clock to 3D-print face shields for Guy’s & St Thomas’ hospitals. This is just one example of the many ways King’s students, staff and alumni have responded to COVID-19 by supporting their local communities in London, across the country, and throughout the world.

As we enter a phase of mass vaccinations with high hopes, King’s scientists, academics and researchers will continue to be at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19, from ground-breaking research to identify new symptoms to ensuring local communities have access to routine testing to help reduce the spread of the virus.

Read more King’s London Stories 2020.