Florence Halford

Epidemiologist 🧪👩‍💻
Senior Scientist | @UKHSA Rapid Investigations Team
MSc Control of Infectious Diseases | @LSHTM

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

Our new study looking at >10 mill COVID-19 cases, England.

Emphasizes need for continued booster doses in high risk groups, i.e. older age groups, to lower the CFR and help mitigate other adverse effects from COVID-19.

🧵->

https://t.co/ntIKgWUOem
@kallmemeg @Kathryn__Yates

[Meaghan Kall has moved to Bluesky @kallmemeg]

⤵️ Check out our new paper in @EditorJRSM

Add to the pile of evidence for the clear protective effect of vaccinations at population level💉

@Kathryn__Yates @HesterAllen_ @UKHSA

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

5/5
Conclusions:
- Highlights how COVID CFR increases with age, and the vax's role in reducing CFR across all ages
- Identified a waning effect after approx 6months, consistent with other studies' findings
- Emphasizes need for cont. booster doses in high-risk groups (older ages)

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

Our new study looking at >10 mill COVID-19 cases, England.

Emphasizes need for continued booster doses in high risk groups, i.e. older age groups, to lower the CFR and help mitigate other adverse effects from COVID-19.

🧵->

https://t.co/ntIKgWUOem
@kallmemeg @Kathryn__Yates

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

4/
Findings:
CFR increased with age, & was highest in the unvaccinated groups
A CFR reduction was seen across all age bands, following vax rollout
CFR was lowest in those vaxxed within the last 6 months
Overall 10x reduction in over50s CFR when vaxxed in last 6months vs unvaxxed

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

Check out our letter in the Lancet ID, discussing inequalities seen in reported COVID-19 cases between Nov '21 and Jun '22.
Big differences between cases reported under the NHS v in the community by LFD!

@EliseMTessier @SophieGraceNash @kallmemeg
https://t.co/5YzSj7iXxK

[John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch]

NEW: the collapse of emergency healthcare in England may be costing 500 lives every week, a close match for non-Covid excess deaths

Let’s look at how we reach that conclusion, by taking a deep-dive into non-Covid excess mortality and its possible causes

https://t.co/VTsPbc2ajH

[Dr. Ayoade Alakija @yodifiji.bsky.social @yodifiji]

A picture is worth a thousand interviews. Here’s the @AIDS_conference news segment right here. No more words needed. #AIDS2022 #EQUITY #JUSTICE

[Alasdair Munro @apsmunro]

Looks like a pretty major breakthrough in the investigation of paediatric hepatitis with unknown cause

Adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) detected in the plasma of all 9 cases (and liver of the 4 available to test), and in zero matched controls

1/
https://t.co/RZNeawi9cr

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

@Kathryn__Yates @EliseMTessier @SophieGraceNash @kallmemeg @UKHSA Thanks so much Kitty!! 💚💚

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

🔥Fresh preprint hot off the press!!🦠

Our study looks at the demographics and trends of COVID-19 cases, over the past few months when testing policies changed considerably in England...

1/🧵👇

https://t.co/N5SAWgVwbl

@EliseMTessier @SophieGraceNash @kallmemeg @UKHSA

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

We propose that going forward...

The Pillar 1 NHS cases may be more representative of the true demographic spread of cases in England - as these as less impacted by changes in testing policies.

BUT of course these cases are more likely to be more clinically unwell.

👩‍💻

6/6

[Florence Halford @florencehalford]

There was also a stark difference between the deprivation index of cases testing under the NHS vs Pillar 2 by LFDs.

Highest rates in the NHS cases were seen in those of the MOST deprived quintile.

P2 LFD tested case rates were highest in the LEAST deprived quintile.
5/🧵

[Sarah @SarahLundy13]

My wonderful friend is hiking the West Highland Way next week for the @MindCharity, finishing on her 25th birthday. If you can spare a couple of pounds, she would be unbelievably grateful:
https://t.co/XxZnxACJQW
Thank you thank you thank you!!

[NYT Science @NYTScience]

It’s a pandemic mystery: Why has Covid been so much less lethal in sub-Saharan Africa? Research shows at least two-thirds of people have been exposed to the virus. Yet they’re not getting sick or dying. Are they? https://t.co/WphNh2Jdfq

[Eric Feigl-Ding @DrEricDing]

⚠️Time for VE data—2 shot vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic #Omicron is not good. 🇬🇧data says 2 doses isn’t strong—Pfizer 2 dose VE for 15+ weeks is 34-36%; AstraZeneca 2 doses VE after 25 weeks is just 5.9%. Pfizer booster yields 71-76%.🧵#COVID19
https://t.co/GnXNmMqV0u