The UK has launched a £7 million project to study 30,000 children over a seven-year period to examine the impact Covid-19 has on them.
It will follow the children from the Yorkshire city of Bradford, northern England, from adolescence into adulthood.
The area, which has a high level of poverty and is home a large population of ethnic minorities, was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, with one in 10 people contracting the disease.
The Age of Wonder project follows on from the Born in Bradford (BIB) programme, which was launched in 2007 and is now one of the biggest health research studies in the world.
It will allow “schools, services and policymakers to better understand young people’s perspectives, measure recovery from the pandemic and design new, targeted interventions to improve the life chances of young people” in the area.
John Wright, director of Bradford Institute for Health Research, said the research will help develop new ways to improve the health of children.
“Young people across Bradford will have this unique opportunity to be part of the most important study of their generation,” he said.
“They will help us create a detailed picture of every aspect of what it’s like to grow up in Bradford, the youngest city in the UK, with almost a third of people aged under 20.
“As they move into adolescence and then adulthood, young people will experience many changes to their bodies their emotions and their social lives. They also enter this period at a time of unparalleled disruption amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As we follow these young people from age 13 to 21, our research will give us a window into their world like never before — and our findings will help to shape new ways of improving their physical and mental health.”
Evidence from the BIB project has already helped to uncover the harm of air pollution, the impact of diet and exercise, how urban environments affect health and the early causes of diabetes and heart disease.
“The research and findings produced so far by Born in Bradford have been ground breaking,” Kersten England, chief executive of Bradford Council, said.
“We welcome the launch of the Age of Wonder project which will see BIB work in collaboration alongside the council and our schools and colleges to focus on adolescence.”
At the peak of Covid-19 deaths locally, the main Muslim cemetery reached capacity and gravediggers were working around the clock.
More than 1,200 people have lost their lives and about 46,000 people have contracted the virus.
There is a large amount of fear regarding the Covid-19 vaccines in Bradford's diverse community, which has led to a low level of acceptance.
To combat this, area mosques stepped up, leading the way in becoming the first in the country to host vaccination centres.
Dr Wright has been at the forefront of highlighting the importance of vaccines and wrote about Bradford’s mosques and community leaders setting an example.
Bradford continues to lead the way in new initiatives to help fight it.
In the latest move, it become the first city to open a vaccine clinic in an Asian restaurant.
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
More on animal trafficking
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
