Original version

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

Science in Action

Science In Action

Factual: Science & Nature

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

The BBC brings you all the week's science news.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

Science In Action: Covid -19 science versus politics

Magazines & Reviews

Covid -19 science versus politics

10/09/2020 GMT

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Covid -19 science versus politics

Are the politicians finally coming round to the scientist’s views on the way forward?

With the announcement in the UK of investment in rapid testing for people who may not have Covid -19 we ask why is this only happening now?  For months on this programme we’ve featured scientific research suggesting such a strategy would be the quickest way to end the pandemic. 

We speak with Connie Cepko and Brian Rabe who have developed a rapid test and Manu Prakash who is currently rolling it out to countries in the global south.

Could a huge motorcycle rally really have been the source of over a quarter of a million Covid -19 infections? That’s the finding of a study by economist Andrew Friedson he tells us how mobile phone data helped to determine that figure. 

And the politics of vaccines, Many health officials in the US have spoken out against president Trumps claim that a vaccine may be ready before the November presidential election.  Helen Branswell from Stat news tells us why there is so much concern over political attempts to manipulate science. 


(Image:Getty Images)

Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Julian Siddle

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Science In Action

Covid -19 science versus politics

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

About BBC World Service