Strathclyde Pandemic Research Journeys: Personal Accounts of Research During the Covid Period

The Covid pandemic affected society in a manner and scale not experienced for more than a generation. The impact persists and will do so for years, and not only on health and well being. The pandemic has changed attitudes on how and where we work, disrupted education, exposed the perilous state of health and care services, and widened social inequalities. It has also prompted a re assessment of building design and management, to create a healthier environment in which to live, work and learn. The role of academics in designing viable vaccines to protect against the more severe effects of Covid is well documented. But academic endeavour and insight was, and continues to be, important in other aspects of daily life Strathclyde, like many other institutions, contributed academic expertise through advisory groups and governmental committees in areas such as public health, modelling, vaccines, the built environment, and health impacts on individuals and vulnerable groups. This booklet is a collection of the personal thoughts of colleagues across the university who were involved one way or another in studies stimulated by the Covid pandemic. The range of topics illustrates the extent of the impact of Covid on society and demonstrates the broad based expertise of Strathclyde academics who made, and continue to make, important contributions to understand the consequences of the pandemic and inform preparations for future crises.