Physiology experts respond to questions from coronavirus frontline on new forum

Frontline clinicians treating coronavirus patients can now gain access to up-to-the-minute advice from human physiology experts thanks to a new initiative hosted by The Physiological Society. 

‘Questions from the frontline’ puts some of the world’s best physiologists at easy and immediate distance from frontline medics wishing to ask anything about how the body might function in response to the disease.

The new initiative is a joint venture between The Physiological Society and the Intensive Care Society, which is being co-ordinated by academics from the Universities of Portsmouth and Oxford.

Questions, comments and data from frontline clinicians dealing with patients are responded to by a Covid-19 advisory panel consisting of 24 specialists with diverse physiological expertise.

Co-ordinated by Mike Tipton, Professor of Human and Applied Physiology at the University of Portsmouth and David Paterson, Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology at the University of Oxford, it aims to mobilise the broad and deep expertise residing within the clinical and non-clinical physiology community.

Professor Tipton said: “Following a discussion with Hugh Montgomery, a professor of intensive care medicine, it was clear that our clinical colleagues were working flat out whilst most of our academic colleagues were not able to deploy their expertise, sitting at home isolating.

“I contacted The Physiological Society and they were brilliant. They worked all over the weekend to get an expert group together and set up a website within five days to serve the clinical community. 

“Questions have already started to come in and the panel of experts have investigated these questions and responded. The aim is to provide clinicians with an evolving understanding of the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that both underpin this disease and determine its outcome and mitigation.”

The University of Portsmouth’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith said: “This is an excellent resource that Professor Tipton should be very proud of in terms of his involvement. It is great to see responses like this where expertise is being applied in this way to provide the resources that colleagues need in navigating this crisis.”

Anyone can access the website to read the questions and responses, but only clinicians can register to ask questions or comment. It is available at: https://www.physoc.org/covid19/questions/

Notes for Editors: The Physiological Society brings together over 4,000 scientists from over 60 countries. The Society promotes physiology with the public and parliament alike. It supports physiologists by organising world-class conferences and offering grants for research and also publishes the latest developments in the field in its three leading scientific journals, The Journal of Physiology, Experimental Physiology and Physiological Reports. www.physoc.org