Vicki Joughin, Antibiotic Research UK’s volunteer marketing and communications consultant considers how we’ve moved from fighting for our freedom to fighting drug resistance. She writes; As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE day, many of us are reflecting on the horrors of war and the loss of life. At Antibiotic Research UK we are also looking back on the …
COVID-19: all hands on deck, but are we preserving samples for future research?
Many organisations that perform medical and scientific research activities are joining the fight against COVID-19. Others are closed, or running a reduced service. Here’s why we need to make sure biobanking is still a top priority. Biobanking is the process of collecting and safely storing samples of human tissues and fluids for analysis. These can be linked to the patient …
Be a superbug busting superhero – from your own home
Whether it be 2.6 miles jogging on the spot or 26 press-ups with the dog on your back, YOU can help us to develop new medicines to prevent deaths from drug-resistance. The loss of the London Marathon and other major fundraising events could have put charities like ours’ in dire straits. But thankfully, organisers of one of the world’s longest-running …
A plaguing thought: will I succumb to Coronavirus?
Sepsis survivor Ronda Windsor is worried she might succumb to coronavirus. She reveals how a shattering, ongoing infection that has left her immune system floundering, could make her susceptible to a deadly dose of COVID-19. “In late 2018, I acquired a drug-resistant urinary tract infection caused by Citrobacter Koseri during a surgical procedure. This sadly developed into sepsis, and I …
Infectious disease expert urges Government to make secondary bacterial infections the primary concern in review of death data
Professor Colin Garner calls on Government to review of death toll data in relation to the current COVID-19 outbreak. He has drawn on initial research from Wuhan, China, as well as retrospective reviews of past Swine Flu and Influenza outbreaks. Professor Garner asks that the Government investigates and publishes full causes of death instead of merely stating mortalities are “due …
COVID-19 and secondary bacterial infections: find out what the technical terms and acronyms in the news really mean
There are a lot of different technical terms being thrown around in the news about COVID-19 at the moment. Just as you think you finally understand something, a new word pops up that seems to complicate things further. Take a look at our coronavirus jargon buster to help you get to grips with pandemic terminology. The virus ARDS: (acute respiratory …
COVID-19 followed by secondary bacterial infections; an often fatal one-two punch
It is becoming increasingly clear that people who are weakened by COVID-19 are susceptible to contracting secondary bacterial infections. These can be acquired in hospital and are often resistant to treatment with antibiotics. Here, we explore the facts and figures published so far. A study of 191 hospital patients in Wuhan recorded secondary infections in 50% of those who sadly …
Why COVID-19 has me in a panic
Our friend and supporter Lisa Jones, who is already living with an underlying chronic lung condition, has more reason than most to be panicking about COVID-19. “These are scary time for everyone. The coronavirus and lockdown have caused us all to have some type of anxiety with not knowing fully what’s going on and how long the crisis will last. …
COVID-19: will bacterial secondary infections become a major cause of death?
A preliminary report of 191 COVID-19 patients hospitalised in Wuhan showed that 28 of those patients (15%) had bacterial secondary infections. 27 of those 28 patients sadly died. This occurred despite the routine administration of antibiotic to all patients in the study. We do not know if the deaths in this group was due to drug-resistant infection, but it is …
CALL FOR UK SCIENCE LABS TO HELP UK GOVERNMENT EXPAND COVID-19 TESTING
I was pleased to hear on the BBC News this morning (2 April 2020) that the government is reaching out to smaller organisations to help in the UK COVID-19 testing programme. One of the labs asked to get involved was the Francis Crick Institute in London. The director, Sir Paul Nurse, likened the approach required to launching multiple small boats …
TEST, TEST, TEST – CHARITY CALLS ON UK GOVERNMENT TO REACH OUT TO UK TESTING LABS AND STAFF TO BE ENLISTED IN THE NATIONAL COVID-19 CRISIS
We appreciate the UK government is doing its best to ramp up COVID-19 testing. There are two types of tests we need to help fight the virus. 1) finding if a person is infected with COVID-19. This requires testing using PCR. 2) finding if a person has been infected, which requires an immunoassay test. The simplest of these tests uses …
The infectious spread of misinformation
Coronavirus isn’t the only dangerous epidemic going on in the world right now: the spread of misinformation is also incredibly troubling. Misinformation is being generated and shared at a rate never seen before – here’s how to keep safe. Across the world, people are increasingly turning to the internet for information, entertainment and even hope. Antibiotic Research UK is well …
Do you think I am immunocompromised because I have a resistant infection? Do I need to take even more precautions with coronavirus around?
These questions have been asked of Arlene Brailey, Antibiotic Research UK’s Patient Support Officer, by quite a few patients now. They already battle resistant infections on a daily basis. The coronavirus has introduced a new element of fear for them about their safety within our communities. One patient, Lisa, confided that: “People at risk are living in fear, living in …
“We don’t want to find ourselves in lockdown again – but this time, because we don’t have any new antibiotics”
These are the words of Lisa, who has resistant bacteria continually collecting around surgical devices in her body which cause dreadful infection and make her feel really unwell. She has also experienced severe pneumonia on several occasions. She told our Patient Support Officer, Arlene, that “We need to use coronavirus to our advantage, and we need to learn lessons from …
Why I am furious about this coverage by Peter Gibson
To paraphrase a certain Mr Brian Clough – “I am a Derbyshire man.” Which means from the novels of DH Lawrence to the peaks, the well dressings and even the water in Buxton, I love the East Midlands region, its traditions and its legacies. That proud past includes the story of Eyam, the small village that secluded itself from the …
COVID-19: will secondary infections become the primary cause of death?
Secondary bacterial infections are often the primary cause of COVID-19 deaths. Research shows that opportunistic bacterial infections caused nearly half of the deaths of people with COVID-19 and a bacterial infection in Wuhan. Now, more than ever, we need to invest in developing new antibiotics. We have seen this before: in the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic (swine flu); up to …
“Can I help you?” Our Patient Support Officer is ready to help!
Our Patient Support Officer, Arlene Brailey, the country’s first Support Officer, supporting people with antibiotic resistant bacterial infections writes; As Patient Support Officer, I have heard from so many patients who worry about where to get reliable information. They want to know what websites and sources of information to trust. I am here to help them – and you – …
Her text to the Patient Support Officer said “Coronavirus is very scary….who knows what’s next?”
As the Patient Support Officer for Antibiotic Research UK, I hear from lots of people. I am used to receiving calls, emails and texts from patients and individuals who are affected in some way by recurring or antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. They usually have requests for information about a particular bacterial infection they (or a loved one) has. Sometimes they …
Asymptomatic ‘Typhoid Marys’ could be causing 50% of new COVID-19 cases
People who are infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) but do not fall ill are increasingly believed to be spreading the infection far and wide. That’s why we needed the Government measures to contain the outbreak to come weeks earlier than they did. ‘Typhoid Mary’, or Mary Mallon, was the first documented person with typhoid to show no symptoms. The first infamous …
‘COVID-19 ANTIBODY TEST KITS AVAILABLE SOON ‘, SAYS PROFESSOR SHARON PEACOCK, EX-ANTIBIOTIC RESEARCH UK TRUSTEE
Professor Sharon Peacock is a world-renowned expert in tracking bacterial antibiotic resistance genes using molecular techniques (1). She reported to the UK Parliament last week that a finger prick test kit for anti-COVID-19 antibodies will soon be available. Sharon, who was a Trustee of Antibiotic Research UK until she resigned last year to take up the role of Director of …