The John Glyn Scholars’ Society presents Charlie Whittaker

We welcomed PhD student and Old Colfeian Charlie Whittaker to talk to scholars about his research on infectious diseases and epidemiology, and his part in Imperial College’s Covid-19 response.

Review by Louise (Year 12)

“Charlie Whittaker’s ‘COVID-19: Anatomy of a Pandemic’ talk for the John Glyn Scholars’ Society was extremely thought-provoking. As a hopeful future medical scientist, I found the information provided on the virus, the medication available to alleviate symptoms, and how the vaccine technology could be replicated to combat malaria or HIV, truly enlightening.

The usefulness of protection methods, such as masks and social distancing, was demonstrated by the statistics of super-spreader events and pre-symptomatic transmission. Further, the addition of the mathematical models used to predict genuine figures for cases and excess deaths was fascinating, enforcing the necessity of taking official figures with a pinch of salt.

The insight into the inequity of healthcare triggered by poverty, and the resulting lack in essential equipment or professionals, was a humbling one. Overall, Whittaker was a captivating speaker, whose experience in epidemiology was inspiring, especially in the current global healthcare crisis.”