Life after lockdown: Health and healthcare

Healthcare has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as we emerge from global lockdowns, healthcare systems are trying hard to catch up to provide treatment to those in need who have missed out, as well as building healthier societies to reduce the impact of future pandemics and other chronic or underlying health problems.

As the first volunteer receives Imperial’s COVID-19 vaccine (thanks to over £41 million government funding and another £5 million in philanthropic donations) – Imperial’s academics are working on solutions to take us past the pandemic into life after lockdown.

For more about Imperial College London’s specific response to the COVID-19 pandemic, check out our dedicated page.

Other Imperial Tech developments include…

  • Wireless IoT sensors are increasingly used for biometric measures (e.g. via smart watches, smart clothing, brain-computer interfaces), audio and image recording or collecting environmental data such as temperature and pressure. Neural Network Wireless IoT Devices could save 3x as much energy as standard implementations and allow more efficient on-chip machine-learning classification of data.
  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death globally. The Smartphone Ballistocardiogram App makes your smartphone into a portable BCG that’s easy to use and provides ECG-quality data without a trip to the GP or hospital.
  • DnaNudge uses your own DNA to nudge you towards healthier choices each time you shop. These every day small swaps can lead to big positive changes to your health over the long term.

Areas of current research and modelling

Imperial has been a world-leader in public health, epidemiology and policy design across a number of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and malaria. Here is a short summary of some of the latest projects providing life-saving information to organisations working to tackle these illnesses:

JAMVENT ventilator

Experts in medical device design (bioengineering) and a clinician treating infected COVID-19 patients designed a low-cost ventilator for long term use that can be built, quickly, to meet MHRA and FDA requirements using just generic parts.

Fighting misinformation

In the midst of the pandemic, misinformation and misrepresentation is more prevalent than ever, from 5G infrastructure being linked to the spread of the virus, the benefits of use of face masks by the public – to how far the airborne virus can be transmitted, potential ‘treatments’ and more

The toll on mental and physical health

We know the resulting economic downturn will have significant consequences on people’s physical and mental health, both in the short and long term – and a debate has started over whether the adverse health effects of a recession may in fact be greater than the increased morbidity and mortality within the pandemic itself.

Find out how Imperial can help you with your specific needs be they immediate or a longer term goal.

Imperial’s COVID-19 response

Experts across a wide range of disciplines have been and are continuing to to keep government and society informed about COVID-19, save lives through vaccines and testing – and protect precious workforces like the NHS.

Citizen science project

What impact has the lockdown had on our mental health, and what determines how people cope with isolation? These are a few of the questions Imperial researchers hope to answer as part of a new crowd-sourced science project, The Great British Wellbeing Survey.

 

Study of Vo

“Our research shows that testing of all citizens, whether or not they have symptoms, provides a way to manage the spread of disease and prevent outbreaks getting out of hand.” Professor Andrea Crisanti

Urine reveals diet quality

Scientists have completed large-scale tests on a new type of five-minute urine test that measures the health of a person’s diet. The test also produces an individual’s unique urine ‘fingerprint’.

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Smartphone-enabled test

Advanced nanoparticle technologies developed for ultrasensitive viral detection of HIV is being adapted by Prof Molly Stevens and colleagues to deliver rapid point-of-care results and connect these to healthcare databases in real time.

 

Body mods

From mind reading machines to edible water bottles, self-learning bionic hands to smart tattoos, the feature article highlights a range of inventions created by staff, students and citizen scientists which aim to make our lives a little more exciting and a little easier.

Keeping hydrated with sweets

Jelly Drops – a sugar free vegan sweet, made from 95% water – are a terrific solution to ensure people with dementia can stay hydrated without needing constant care or reminders.

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Monitoring ICU vital signs with AI

Third Eye Intelligence has won a host of awards for its innovative application of artificial intelligence in monitoring the vital signs of patients within intensive care units, meaning doctors can focus on diagnoses and treatments.

Memory hacks for those who need help

Use ancient techniques and modern technology to empower those with dementia or other memory impairments to improve their ability to remember information with Hippocampus’s updated Memory Palace.

Latest news

Imperial part of London Alliance offering 20,500 more COVID tests a day by March

Imperial part of London Alliance offering 20,500 more COVID tests a day by March

Imperial joins Department of Health and Social Care's partnership with the London Testing Alliance, brought together by life science cluster MedCity to ramp up testing. read more

Imperial Consultants provides expertise for iconic company: BSI

Imperial Consultants provides expertise for iconic company: BSI

The UK’s National Standards Body, BSI (British Standards Institution), has commissioned consultancy advice within data modelling expertise to look at improving smart city implementation. read more

Electric Insights – quarterly reports

Electric Insights – quarterly reports

Commissioned by Drax and delivered by Dr Iain Staffell and team, the quarterly Electric Insights reports analyse raw data made publicly available by National Grid and Elexon, which run the electricity and balancing market respectively, and Sheffield Solar. read more

Related case studies

Imperial COVID-19 testing facilities

Imperial COVID-19 testing facilities

Imperial's facility, comprising the UKAS accredited Molecular Diagnostic Unit (MDU) and high-throughput robotic platform for RNA extraction, forms part of the Department of Health and Social Care's partnership with the London Testing Alliance, set-up by MedCity. read more

Imperial College London Diabetes Centre

Imperial College London Diabetes Centre

The Imperial College London Diabetes Centre was established in Abu Dhabi, in 2006, by Mubadala and experts from Imperial to address the demand for diabetes care in the UAE. With continued support from Imperial, the centre now operates three branches across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and public health initiatives. read more