Hi everyone,

We all found our own ways to get through the last year of social isolation.  For me, unable to fill my time with seeing friends or traveling, I started running. So perhaps it’s a small sort of poetic justice that I have the opportunity to run for the fight against COVID!

On the 1^st of August I’ll be running in the London Landmarks Half Marathon with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) Team.

We are running to raise money for LSHTM’s COVID-19 response fund.  Many of us may feel much safer with those vaccine shots in our arms (I know I do!) but sadly the dangers posed by COVID-19 are far from over.  The virus continues to ravage communities around the world, not only causing suffering and death, but also extending the possibility of new deadly vaccine resistant strains to develop. Sadly, COVID-19 is going to be with us for a long time to come.

From identifying new variants through genome sequencing, to communication strategies for improving vaccine confidence, LSHTM is a vital player in the global health arena at the forefront of the continued fight against this virus. 

You can read more about it here: https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/supportus/support-lshtms-covid-19-response-fund

Please consider donating whatever you can, no amount is too small (or too big ;-).  Contributing to the fight against COVID-19 is not only a moral imperative; with the continued risk of new variants being reintroduced into our home societies, it’s an investment in our own health safety.

Please consider sponsoring me and wish me luck on my run!

Alex