As the number of COVID-19 cases has risen sharply, it is clear that we need to try harder to stop the spread of infection. This new situation of course brings up really difficult and often upsetting questions about the way we work, socialise and interact. People want to understand the reasons for the rules and their purpose.

After hearing of dilemmas facing people living and working in Bristol West, I’ve been working with the University of Bristol’s School of Policy Studies to help you put  questions directly to some of the UK’s most distinguished COVID-19 experts, including SAGE members, a member of the WHO European Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and those at the forefront of epidemiology research at the University of Bristol.

The free online event will take place at 6pm on Wednesday 11 November. Full details are here.

I will be joined by:

• Lucy Yardley OBE, Professor of Health Psychology and SAGE member
• Caroline Relton, Professor of Epigenetic Epidemiology
• Adam Finn, Professor of Paediatrics, Chair, WHO European Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
• Dr Ellen Brooks Pollock, Senior Lecturer in Infectious Disease Mathematical Modelling, Member of Scientific Pandemic Infleunza Group on Modelling and SAGE-subgroup on children and schools

We’re so lucky to have the University right on our doorstep, which has organised this special meeting to help answer your questions. On risk, how does the virus case disease and transmit from person to person? How does this differ in children? How can we combat COVID-19 misinformation? What progress has there been in developing a vaccine? And finally, how long does the lockdown need to last to bring the R rate below 1?

You can submit your questions in advance, and during the event, using the University’s Slido platform.