UK launches £7m project into study examining children hardest hit by Covid-19

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.

Muslim cemeteries in Bradford, England, became overwhelmed during the pandemic. Getty Images

“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.

Dr John Wright has been running a weekly blog during coronavirus lockdown. Photo: Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

“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.

COMPANY%20PROFILE

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYango%20Deli%20Tech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERetail%20SaaS%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf%20funded%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

E-cigarettes report

Tobacco giants, under attack from governments and forced to print gruesome warnings on their products, pour millions into 'healthier' e-cigarette products

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

RESULTS

2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Masaali, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).

2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Almoreb, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Imprison, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Raahy, Adrie de Vries, Jaber Ramadhan.

4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m. Winner: Cross The Ocean, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m. Winner: Sa’Ada, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash.

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet

THREE

%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

While you're here

Con Coughlin: To survive, Nato must renew its sense of common purpose

Gavin Esler: Nato summit failed for making news more than it made deals

Simon Waldman: Nato continues to be Ankara’s best security guarantor

Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?

George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.

Hunting park to luxury living

Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds