Pandemic research at the University of Edinburgh

A collection of publications related to pandemic research.

Incidence and severity of community acquired pneumonias in children before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

This retrospective review of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) admissions to Archbishop Makarios Hospital from March 2016 to February 2023 compared four pre-pandemic years with the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mean annual CAP admissions fell from 32 pre-pandemic to 11 in the first pandemic year, coinciding with widespread non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs). 

After restrictions eased, admissions rebounded to 41 in the second pandemic year—about 28% higher than pre-pandemic—and remained elevated in the third. The proportion of complicated pneumonias nearly doubled, rising from about 20% pre-pandemic to 35% and 33% in the second and third years, respectively, suggesting that while NPIs initially suppressed CAP incidence, subsequent periods saw increased case numbers and severity.


Assessing the Impact of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic on RSV Seasonality in Europe

Analyzing RSV surveillance from 12 European countries (2018–2022), the study found that typical winter RSV peaks disappeared during 2020–2022. 

Multilevel models linking five COVID-19 NPIs to RSV yielded inconsistent, data source–dependent results; only public gathering limits and public-space closures showed significant negative associations, and only when using whole-year data. The authors call for standardized surveillance and caution in interpreting NPI effects on RSV seasonality.


Gender, sexuality and viral safety: A mixed-methods examination of the negotiation of risk and precautions through dating apps during a pandemic

Drawing on mixed-method data from UK heterosexual and LGBQ+ dating-app users, the paper shows how people balanced desires for intimacy and social connection with COVID-19 safety, positioning apps as mediators embedded in wider sociocultural and public-health contexts.

It argues that while dating apps can facilitate both connection and viral safety in future pandemics, they also pose underrecognized health-promotion challenges shaped by gender/sexuality—and, above all, by trust.


A narrative review of heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes and vaccine efficacy: strategizing pandemic preparedness in Africa

This narrative review examines why Africa reported fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths than expected, weighing evidence for factors such as demographics, mitigation strategies, cross-reactive immunity, and host genetics, and highlighting key knowledge gaps. 

It notes wide variability in vaccine responses within Africa and globally, and that pre-existing immunity can both enhance protection and undermine new vaccines through immune imprinting. The authors call for targeted immunology studies to clarify cross-reactivity’s role and to guide vaccine design and effectiveness monitoring, using SARS‑CoV‑2 as a case for improving rapid-response efforts like the 100‑day mission.


The Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Mental Health Among Syrians and Syrian Refugees Working in Agriculture During COVID-19

Using a mixed-methods study of 100 Syrian internally displaced/refugee agricultural workers across northern Syria and neighboring countries, the authors found that greater food insecurity was significantly associated with poorer mental health (rs = -0.24).

COVID-19 measures did not moderate this link, but coping behaviors (smaller portions, storing food) correlated with worse outcomes; the pandemic—especially during Ramadan 2020—intensified these overlapping crises, highlighting the need to investigate resilience strategies.


Human ACE2 transgenic pigs are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and develop COVID-19-like disease

This study engineered transgenic pigs expressing human ACE2 to overcome pigs’ natural resistance to SARS‑CoV‑2. 

After experimental challenge, the pigs developed COVID‑19–like illness (fever, cough, respiratory distress), showed viral replication in nasal turbinates, trachea, and lungs through 7 days, and exhibited lung immunopathology resembling fatal human cases. The model offers a clinically and pathologically faithful large‑animal platform for studying COVID‑19 and testing vaccines and therapies.


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