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More people in England at high risk from Covid-19 will get priority access to vaccines thanks to new technology developed by a University of Oxford-led team of researchers that can identify those who may be most vulnerable to the virus.

Coronavirus illustration

Research led by Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox in the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, with collaborators across the UK, found that there are several health and personal factors which, when combined, could mean someone is at a higher risk from Covid-19. These include characteristics like age, ethnicity and BMI, as well as certain medical conditions and treatments.

The team turned their research into a risk prediction model called QCovid®, which has been independently validated by the Office for National Statistics. It is thought to be the only Covid-19 risk prediction model in the world to meet the highest standards of evidence.

The work was commissioned by England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and funded by the National Institute of Health Research. Details of the development and validation of the tool were published in the BMJ, and the model has been fully published for transparency at www.qcovid.org.

Read the full story on the University of Oxford website