• Question: How is doing research like with corona around does it have an impact

    Asked by anon-271570 on 23 Nov 2020.
    • Photo: Natsuko Imai

      Natsuko Imai answered on 23 Nov 2020:

      It has definitely changed the way we work! (and I’m sure it’s changed the way you study at school). I am lucky though in that most of my work is done on a computer which means that I’ve been able to work at home.

      Friends who work in the laboratories have found it a bit trickier with having to reschedule experiments and make sure that there is enough space to socially distance in the labs.

      But not being able to go to the office has meant that we’ve had to come up with new ways to make sure we were still exchanging ideas — so many good ideas and solutions to problems start over a cuppa or a lunch break just bouncing ideas around with colleagues.

      But we’ve also been inspired by the sheer amount of research on Covid that’s happened this year and how much progress has been made!

    • Photo: Jamie McGinn

      Jamie McGinn answered on 23 Nov 2020:

      Like everywhere else right now, working when corona is around is all very strange and different. We have online meetings, masks in the lab and a lot of hand sanitiser – but that wont stop us. One of the best bits is that there is research that is super important to corona going on all around you. That inspires me everyday to keep going, even when there are a lot of rules to keep in mind!

    • Photo: Veronica Caraffini

      Veronica Caraffini answered on 23 Nov 2020:

      Coronavirus has for sure changed the way we all work. In my case, first, the laboratory where I work had to close for around three months. And it wasn’t easy, because I mostly work in the laboratory! But I used that time to read a lot about the topic I research and I volunteered at the Cambridge COVID-19 testing centre. Now I can go to lab so I can work almost normally, but of course there are some rules to follow, like always wearing a mask, keeping distance with the other people and we only have online meetings. But I’m happy to be able to work, even if we all had to adapt to this situation!

    • Photo: Melanie S.

      Melanie S. answered on 23 Nov 2020:

      COVID-19 has definitely impacted my research work. Almost all of my work is usually done in a laboratory, and at the beginning of the pandemic, my lab closed, so we all had to work from home for several months. This is something I’d never done before, and it was difficult to transition into doing a lot of work on the computer that I never learned how to do before.

      I was allowed to return to lab work in July, and I left that institution (my previous job) to move to the UK in September, where I now work in a different lab. In both cases, there are strict rules about how we work. For example, there is a very strict limit on the number of people who can be in a lab space at any time, and we have to clean all areas and surfaces a lot more than we used to. We can’t go in and work quite as often or as long as we usually would, but we’re doing the best we can with the circumstances right now, and I appreciate being able to go to work in the lab (and feel safe while I’m at work)!

    • Photo: Katie Pickup

      Katie Pickup answered on 24 Nov 2020:

      It definitely has a big impact. I have only just started my PhD and wasn’t able to get into the lab during my first month. I am now doing lab work but most other new PhD students are still doing remote computational projects. It’s also meant I haven’t managed to get all the training I wanted in order to use microscopes etc, so I have had to adapt and use video calls for a lot of learning. It’s difficult not being around everyone as much so there is less interaction with the rest of the lab to help give me ideas and show me how to do experiments.
      It’s also a bit sad that I’ve not met any other new students in person who are having a similar experience to me but hopefully we will be able to meet in the new year.
      But I’m glad my institute is taking the virus seriously and trying hard to keep us all safe. It’s really rubbish for a lot of people but hopefully things will get better soon.

    • Photo: Berengere Digard

      Berengere Digard answered on 24 Nov 2020:

      Luckily for me my research has not been impacted by the pandemic because it started when I was writing up my PhD thesis, which takes a very long time! I just went from spending 12h a day writing at the library to spending 12h a day writing in my living room!

    • Photo: Carissa Wong

      Carissa Wong answered on 25 Nov 2020:

      During lockdown #1 had to do a lot of stuff at home (analysing data, reading and writing around my research). Then now I am allowed to go into the lab again, but always wearing masks, keeping 2m from everyone and only certain numbers of people are allowed in my corridor. It’s working actually really well so I’m able to do the research I want to without any problems!

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  • modlouise commented on :

    IMPORTANT: This question and its answers are about coronavirus (COVID-19). The information on this page might be out of date or wrong. For up-to-date health information and advice, please go to the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/