King Charles has presented Wokingham’s World Health Organisation professor with his award for his groundbreaking and life-saving work on Covid-19.
Professor Ben Cowling, who attended Sonning Primary School, went to Buckingham Palace to receive the award with his parents Tony and Elaine who still live in Sonning, his wife and his younger son.
The King wanted to know about his research.
“We chatted briefly about the research work I was doing that led up to the award, and what I’ve been working on since then,” said Professor Cowling who is co-director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre in Hong Kong.
The award, making the professor a Member of the Order of the British Empire, was for “services to public health and to research on COVID-19”. It was among the last honours announced by the Queen before she died.
Last week’s presentation was, of course, a great day for Professor Cowling’s family who watched the ceremony. His mum Elaine, a Twyford Singers member, said: “Everything was very well organised and there was a lovely atmosphere.
“Even the police on the gate were congratulating us all. It was a wonderful day.”
In January 2020, Professor Cowling went with colleagues to China to work on a study which gave the first official estimates of how easily Covid-19 was passed on.
This was urgently needed information when Covid-19 was taking off. The scientists were looking at details about the first 425 people to have Covid-19 confirmed in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and January 2020.
Soon after the study’s publication on January 29, 2020, Professor Cowling, speaking to Wokingham.Today, made, what seemed then, astounding predictions.
When there were just two Covid-19 cases in the UK, he predicted the possible start of a coronavirus epidemic in the UK by early March. He also warned the new virus was “a real risk to global health.” He was proved right on both.
His earlier studies, with colleagues, on how face masks can prevent virus transmission, was highly valuable. He empasises that his work is a team effort.
He continues his covid studies, saying: “I’m still working on COVID booster vaccinations and I am spending more time on my long-running studies of influenza.” He lives in Hong Kong but visits the UK quite often.
MP Theresa May and other leaders have thanked Professor Cowling for his work. His former headteachers at Sonning Primary and at Reading School said he was an inspiration.
Sonning Parish Council chairman, Toney Farnese said Sonning people and the whole world owed him a huge debt of gratitude. “That [he] began his education at Sonning Primary School is very heartening,” he added.
