Body Wellness

The UK's R rate - measuring the spread of the virus - is between 0.6 and 0.9, according to Sage experts, showing the second wave is still shrinking across the country. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NxDTUB

Police fury over Covid vaccine roll-out snub: JCVI says jab will be offered to people based on age

The Department of Health today confirmed it will follow the advice from the JCVI and continue with its 'age-based rollout' once it gets past the top priority groups by April 15, with those in their 40s next. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37N4jIU

Care homes can refuse to hire staff or renew contracts of workers who won't accept the vaccine

Robert Buckland MP said the Government would not enforce a 'no jab, no job' policy on UK care home workers, but added it would not prevent employers blocking future contracts. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bBUpLa

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland hails Queen for using her 'immense power' in vaccine intervention

During a round of interviews this morning, Mr Buckland described the 'altruistic act' as 'hugely important' in Britain's Covid fight. He told LBC: 'I think anything the Queen says has immense power.' from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3uCK22f

Ethnic minorities are NOT more likely to die from Covid than white Brits

Number 10's Race Disparity Unit reviewed the findings of major UK studies probing the link between ethnicity and Covid-19, finding higher deaths may have been a result of infection risk. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dV8mGC

Single dose of Pfizer's Covid vaccine stops three-quarters of people from spreading disease

Asymptomatic screening of staff at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge showed the number of people testing positive fell from 0.8 per cent to 0.2 per cent 12 days after their injection. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dL32pv

Coronavirus vaccines may help long Covid patients beat crippling fatigue

Anecdotal reports suggest the jabs can prompt a recovery in some patients. Scientists said this could be because they reset the immune system, or due to a 'psychological boost' from receiving the shots. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3r16DU3

Nighttime Covid jabs planned for Muslims during Ramadan

Officials are concerned that vaccine hesitancy within England's ethnic minority groups could be even greater during the month-long fast, which lasts from April 12 to May 12. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qYPb2r

Moderna to launch trials of new booster vaccine that targets South African Covid variant

The Boston-based biotech has already shipped the raw materials to the US National Institutes of Health, which helped the firm study its first jab, to start human trials. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pOkpYF

Coronavirus UK: 60% of people in part of the Isle of Wight have had their first jab

EXCLUSIVE: NHS England statistics show that 95.9 per cent of all over-70s in England have had their first dose of the jab, with 15 areas of the country vaccinating more than half of all residents. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3knmDNH

Covid alert is DOWNGRADED to level four as cases fall

Department of Health bosses today recorded 9,985 cases - down 17 per cent on last Thursday. Another 323 victims were also added to the official fatality toll, dropping by almost 30 per cent. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aSHaq6

Burden of long Covid 'is real and significant', says World Health Organization official

Dr Hans Kluge told a press conference the condition is 'real and significant' and can lead to sufferers losing their jobs and being so tired they are unable to meet family and friends. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3kmrNJM

Covid England: Over 35M GP appointments lost to pandemic

NHS Digital estimates there were 35.6m fewer family doctor visits in England between March 2020 and January 2021 compared to the same period a year prior. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aViuO1

Nearly 4,500 critically-ill patients are being treated in hospital beds every day in England

EXCLUSIVE: Data released by NHS England today shows the number of beds occupied fell around seven per cent last week, as Covid cases and death figures across the UK continue to fall. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37LVjno

Interactive map reveals 99.5% of all districts in England and Wales have suffered Covid victims

Office for National Statistics data showed only 36 out of 7,209 districts - or 0.5 per cent - had not recorded a single Covid-linked fatality. They were mostly scattered across the South West. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bCj3v1

England records NO influenza cases so far in 2021 due to social distancing measures

Public Health England had sequenced more than 20,000 random test samples for flu by February 14 but hasn't yet detected a case of the virus in 2021. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3snZcqf

Covid cases in England hit their lowest levels since SEPTEMBER

Just 84,310 people tested positive for the coronavirus across the country during the week ending February 17, NHS Test and Trace data revealed today. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZQgpwg

Covid outbreaks are SEVEN TIMES smaller in some areas

Department of Health data shows Devon, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight have the lowest infection rates in England. MPs today said they should be released from lockdown earlier. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37M0fZn

What IS behind Britain's Covid vaccine slowdown?

A vaccine dose delivery schedule published by the Scottish Government in January suggests that officials knew there would be a dip in vaccine supply in February before a spike in availability in March. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NZnk3r

Gavin Williamson claims Britain's lagging Covid vaccination drive ISN'T down to lack of jabs

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, described the process of manufacturing jabs as being 'like beer-making' because not every batch yields the same amount. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3uswfLS

Tory demand lockdown end date is brought forward from June

Department of Health bosses today recorded 9,938 infections - down by a fifth on last week. Another 442 victims were also added to the toll, in a fall of more than 40 per cent. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3slgeW2

Brits could get their Covid vaccine in a PILL in future, Oxford University says

Professor Sarah Gilbert, the chief scientist behind Oxford's jab, told MPs on the Science and Technology Committee her team were also looking at delivering the Covid vaccine via a nasal spray. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qQaYcP

Britain WON'T have to live with Covid like flu because it will become like measles, top expert says

Sage member Professor Devi Sridhar of the Univeristy of Edinburgh said Covid vaccines should mean the UK does not have 'live with the virus' as other experts have predicted. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aMJhfk

Britain and the US could achieve herd immunity through Covid vaccines before the end of 2021

The UK is already dishing out 358,340 doses a day on average, the report by German company Statista says, which is 46 per cent more than needed to achieve herd immunity this year. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2MrmegM

Britain's vaccine postcode lottery 'means healthy adults in their TWENTIES are getting jabs'

Examples have been most common in London, which is seeing the poorest uptake of anywhere in Britain, but there have also been cases in parts of Manchester, Scotland and Wales. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aQV4Ji

Why lockdowns DON'T always stop thousands dying of Covid

Oxford University researchers found the UK had the sixth harshest restrictions. Separate data from OurWorldInData.com showed the UK has suffered the fourth highest death toll of the pandemic. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZFVcVO

How Britain's second wave of Covid has drastically changed

The most recent figures show the areas with the highest case numbers are Doncaster, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Peterborough, Bolton, Luton and Slough as of February 17. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37BoDNd

UK government WON'T share number of Covid cases in quarantine hotels

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today claimed that the UK's border measures 'are working' at keeping out coronavirus cases but his department will not publish the data to prove it. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dBMiRr

Covid: UK lockdown is one of the toughest in the WORLD, study claims

University of Oxford researchers have scored the pandemic response of 180 countries using measures including whether schools and offices are open and stay-at-home orders. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dFnGXN

Covid UK: Matt Hancock claims cases of variants 'falling sharply'

Mr Hancock's comment is at odds with a Public Health England report published hours later that showed 42 more cases of worrying variants have been confirmed in the past week. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37G3xgC

Covid UK: Lockdown ease may SLOW if cases spike, says SAGE adviser

Dr Mike Tildesley said the Government 'needs to be reactive' to further outbreaks as it relaxes restrictions. Ministers will leave five weeks between easing measures to ensure there is no spike in cases. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pHVtlP

Britain records just 8,489 Covid cases in lowest daily rise since October 2

Department of Health data shows infections have fallen by 20 per cent on last Tuesday, when 10,625 positive tests were recorded. Statistics also reveal deaths have fallen by 30 per cent. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bwbmXt

Pregnant women with Covid are NOT at higher risk of miscarriage

The study by Imperial College London, which included medical records from 4,004 women in the US and UK, found that no newborn babies died of Covid-19 and mothers' risk was the same as average. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bs2i5M

Matt Hancock claims Britain's Covid vaccine roll-out will have a quiet week because of supply issues

Matt Hancock revealed vaccine rollout figures will continue to stay low for the rest of the week. The Health Secretary said it will be a 'quieter week' for the rollout because of a supply shortage. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qLElNh

Coronavirus UK: Vaccine passports 'WON'T save summer', experts say

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wanted to determine whether 'Covid-status certificates' could help theatres, cinemas, sporting venues and workplaces to open again. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37CFOy0

Covid lockdown England: SAGE warned of 91,000 deaths if restrictions were scrapped at Easter

Sage insisted that without a gradual approach, the pressure on NHS hospitals would peak in June at nearly 60,000 Covid-19 inpatients - higher than even last month's peak of 39,000 patients. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3kh2c58

People with low 'disgust' threshold 'less vulnerable to infections'

Researchers compared levels of disgust with the levels of infection in three Ecuadorian Shura communities and found disgust acts as a protective mechanism. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3kcOd00

Eating more than seven portions of refined grains a day can increase risk of early DEATH by 27%

A new study has warned that consuming too many refined grains can come with serious consequences, including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and even early death. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37DWAMZ

Boris Johnson finally reveals his roadmap out of lockdown

Announcing his long-awaited exit strategy, the PM stated that 'Covid zero' was not possible, but made clear he was prioritising 'certainty over urgency' in loosening the shackles on the country. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aFfSnd

Covid cases are UP for first time in SIX WEEKS with 10,641 new infections

Department of Health figures show infections are 9 per cent up on last Monday, when 9,765 were declared. But fatalities have dropped by almost a quarter, from 230. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bJdVWj

Covid UK: Boris Johnson admits more will die when lockdown lifted

The Prime Minister acknowledged in Parliament today that there is 'no escape' from a third wave of coronavirus cases, hospital admissions and deaths in the UK as lockdown ends. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pRGF4d

Coronavirus UK: Indoor mixing could be reintroduced sooner, SAGE suggests

SAGE modelling presented to the Government found that one-on-one indoor mixing could be brought back at the end of March and the inevitable third wave still kept under control. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NlVEGp

Covid UK: Revaccination may become regular thing, admits government

Hidden in Boris Johnson's lockdown-easing roadmap today, it was also revealed that ministers are planning another Covid vaccination drive this autumn. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aH7QKs

Coronavirus symptoms: 22% of patients have long-term hair loss

Almost a quarter of Covid-19 survivors may be dealing with hair loss, according to a new paper by experts from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2Nxb22D

Covid UK: Infection rate lower in 15% councils than BEFORE September

Department of Health statistics show 59 out of 380 councils across the country had a lower infection rate in the week ending February 16 than in the seven days to September 30. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3kkevh2

No10 urged to pick up the pace of its Covid vaccine drive

Department of Health statistics show 371,052 jabs were administered each day, on average, last week. For comparison, it almost reached 450,000 during the first fortnight of February. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3shfcKB

Britain's Covid vaccines ARE working, early studies show

Studies of the first people to be vaccinated against Covid in England and Scotland have revealed that vaccines are clearly reducing hospital admissions and coronavirus infections. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NRHL2d

Matt Hancock says 'time needs to be taken' with lockdown despite vaccines for all adults by July 31

The Health Secretary revealed that one-in-three people over 16 had now been given on of the life-saving jabs, a boost to the country ahead of Boris Johnson's roadmap launch tomorrow. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3buuFAa

Matt Hancock says 'time needs to be taken' with lockdown despite vaccines for all adults by July 31

Covid UK: R-rate drops AGAIN but app suggests outbreak not shrinking

Office for National Statistics data showed there were 481,300 people in England suffering from Covid-19 in the week to February 12. This is 43 per cent fewer than two weeks ago. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3slK50L

Parts of the UK are already jabbing over-50s without underlying conditions amid postcode lottery

England has only officially expanded the inoculation drive to catch all over-65s and at-risk adults. However, some areas - including in London - have started offering jabs to people in their 50s. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2Zxiygc

£51 nasal spray available on Amazon prevented Jews from catching coronavirus in Israel

The £51 spray, called Taffix, coats the inside of the nose in an acidic powder that makes it difficult for viral particles to penetrate. It is said to have protected 81 Jews from catching Covid. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qClK63

Only 50% of appointments for Covid jabs at mass centre in Manchester are being taken up

The mayor of Greater Manchester urged the Government to expand the rollout to 'younger, more mobile' age groups who were more able to travel to mass vaccination centres to get their jabs. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bjApNg

Covid hospitalisations HALVE since January as cases fall to pre-second wave levels

In England, 15,633 patients were being treated for Covid in hospital on Tuesday, below the 18,974 seen at the pandemic's first wave's hospitalisation peak on April 12. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZsVZtd

England's Covid vaccine postcode lottery: Parts of London have only jabbed 60% of over-60s

NHS figures show the area with the poorest uptake of the first dose was Westminster, in central London, where only 60.9 per cent of residents over 70 had their first injection by February 14. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qKKk4I

NHS unveils blueprint to tackle Covid vaccine hesitancy among BAME Brits

They will also distribute leaflets in 20 languages - including Arabic, Punjabi and Hindi - to reach out to people in the UK who do not speak English as their first language. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3s42DlJ

Kent Covid variant sweeping the world may be more infectious than original strain, scientists say

Researchers from Harvard University found that those infected with the new variant were ill for 13 days compared with eight days after contracting the old strain. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pvS1L0

Covid outbreaks have shrunk in all but TWO areas of England, Public Health England report reveals

Public Health England's weekly surveillance report shows 147 out of 149 councils - or 98.7 per cent - saw a drop in their infection rate over the seven days to February 14 from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dpYDbh

Why IS Covid in retreat around the world? Global cases fell by 16% last week

It marks the fifth consecutive week that global cases have declined after peaking at more than 5million in the week ending January 4. They are falling fastest in Africa. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qBwZfk

Covid-19: Scientists find new 'super variant' in Finland

Finnish researchers who made the discovery said the variant shares some mutations found in the Kent and South African strains, but in a combination they described as 'unique'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3ayAJIA

Over '20m years of life' have been lost due to Covid, study claims

Scientists investigated Covid death tolls in 81 countries, including the UK and US. They compared the difference between a person's age when they died with Covid to the average life expectancy. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dvNO7L

Weekly Covid cases drop by another 30%

Test and Trace data shows there were 106,474 new infections identified in the week to February 10, the same levels as in October. It was lower in the week to October 14 when 96,437 were identified. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qzvG0d

Minister hints postcode lockdowns to be used when national curbs eased

februarie 18, 2021

Minister Helen Whately today hinted postcode lockdowns will be imposed by the Government to stop the spread of dangerous coronavirus variants when national curbs are eased. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qJtAex

Coronavirus infections in England plummet by 60% in January and February, study finds

februarie 18, 2021

The official REACT study, run by Imperial College London, found the proportion of people testing positive for coronavirus fell from one in 64 to one in 196. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dnZc5y

Fewer non-Covid deaths are occurring now than during the peak of Britain's outbreak last spring

februarie 18, 2021

EXCLUSIVE: Dr Jason Oke, of Oxford University, told MailOnline one a factor behind the drop in excess non-Covid deaths in the second wave could be a displacement of deaths from the first wave. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rUGPZU

Covid UK: Symptom-tracking app raises fears cases are on the RISE

Scientists running the Covid symptom tracking app said that after a five-week period of sustained drops in UK infections, there had been a 'hitch' in the data, with case 'starting to trend up again'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3dlqlpv

Ancestor of Covid 'was lurking in animals for MILLIONS of years before infecting humans'

Emilia Skirmuntt, a virologist at the University of Oxford, said the 'species zero' of the coronavirus was still unconfirmed but she did not rule out bats as a possible source. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZsPAhD

Covid UK: Coughs may be seen as 'socially unacceptable' in workplace

Dame Angela McLean, a professor at the University of Oxford and MOD adviser, said: 'I think it's quite unlikely that we will return completely to the way we behaved in February 2020.' from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NAPfXy

Britain could ease lockdown SOONER if No10 was really following the data

Professor Mark Woolhouse, an infectious diseases expert and Sage member, said the data was pointing towards an earlier easing of restrictions. Britain's cases have tumbled since January. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bgs2Su

New Covid vaccines could be made in 40 DAYS, taskforce chief says

Dr Clive Dix, chair of the UK's vaccine squad, told Sky News that it would take between 40 and 60 days to get an updated vaccine produced, trialled and ready for mass-manufacturing. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pnXDqs

Ready, test, go! New Government slogan unveiled as PM plans to send testing kits to millions

'Are you ready? Get testing. Go' will reportedly be a new campaign launched ahead of the reopening of England's schools next month. Pictured: A nursery worker in Staffordshire. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37lfI2k

Boris confirms pubs WILL be last to open amid furious backlash from MPs

The Prime Minister said his plans, which he will unveil on Monday, will be 'based firmly on a cautious and prudent approach' to ease restrictions in 'such a way as to be irreversible'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3as0RVL

Teachers and police officers may not be prioritised in vaccine roll-out

The JCVI is expected will sign off recommendations to dish out jabs according to five-year age groups rather than prioritising key workers when it comes to the next stage of the vaccine roll-out. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bhOMld

UK will run world's first controversial Covid-19 challenge trial

The 'human challenge trial' will start next month in London after sealing approval from the UK's clinical research ethics body today. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bhotLZ

UK and California Covid variants merged in US coronavirus case, scientists say

Scientists in a lab in New Mexico realised the variant had been caused by a mixing of two previous versions of the virus because it had acquired a large number of mutations suddenly in one go. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZqnGms

More than 40% of over-80s in England now have Covid antibodies

The number of over-80s testing positive for antibodies in England jumped from 26 to 41 per cent in England in a fortnight, according to the results of the major surveillance study. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3u9THgO

TEN MILLION patients on NHS waiting lists: One in six could find themselves waiting for treatment

NHS health workers are bracing for a surge of demand as lockdown eases that could see the waiting list rise from 4.52million as of the end of December to ten million by April, research shows. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jYAaey

More than three million American children have tested positive for COVID-19

As of February 11, at least 3.03 million U.S. children have tested positive for coronavirus, making up 13% of all cases in the country, with an 8% jump from the previous two weeks from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NsyOMN

NYC will use J&J's one-dose shot to vaccinate homebound seniors

'We're going to use that Johnson & Johnson vaccine to reach homebound, seniors, literally sending medical personnel, trained folks to individual apartments,' Mayor de Blasio said. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZkDY06

One in four Americans say there were unable to get a coronavirus test when they wanted to

A new poll from STAT News and The Harris Poll found that 24% of respondents said they were unable to get tested for COVID-19 for various reasons such as the line being too long. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3ds1eRQ

Coronavirus: Map reveals how Britain's Covid hotspot shifted during second wave

EXCLUSIVE: Corby in Northamptonshire is currently the UK's worst-hit borough, with official data showing it had an infection rate of 383.6 per 100,000 people in the week ending February 10. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2LUMmjF

Covid: UK urged to roll out vaccines to EVERYONE over 50 ASAP

Scientists and think-tanks said it makes sense to allow anyone in the UK's top priority groups to get vaccinated if there are sufficient supplies and jabs shouldn't be rationed based solely on ranking. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3u7xek8

As many as 25% of people in wealthier, whiter NYC neighborhoods have been fully vaccinated while rat

In wealthier, white neighborhoods, such as the Upper East Side, as many as 25% of all adults have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, new New York City data shows. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3s01n3b

US records fewer than 1K coronavirus deaths in day for the first time since late November

The U.S. recorded 989 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, which is the first time fatalities have fallen below 1,000 since November 29 and an 80% drop from the peak seen on February 4. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37jGjwv

UK's Covid vaccine roll-out continues to slow with just 280,000 more doses dished out

Latest figures show 275,956 shots were dished out across Britain on Monday, which was only slightly more than the mere 237,956 done on Sunday - the lowest in three weeks. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3bdpQeE

Covid-19: European health chiefs say people should wear masks inside their own HOME

People living with someone who has Covid symptoms have been told to wear masks inside their homes by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an EU agency from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3ba43Vc

PHE boss criticised government for doing 'science by press release'

Dr Susan Hopkins, a senior medical adviser at PHE, agreed with frustrations about 'science by press release' when Matt Hancock surprised them by announcing the variant to the public. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3u1K5V3

Top expert says UK's Covid deaths could be back to 'normal' next month

Eminent statistician Professor David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge, made the prediction. Covid fatalities have dipped twice as fast in the second wave compared to the first. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3s2WrL1

Coronavirus UK: People who are shielding 'should stay home until March 31'

The shielding end date has reportedly been extended to March 31 from the original end of February 21, next week, signalling that medics in the UK do not think society will be safe in March. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3djdPqM

One in FIVE people in England tested positive for Covid antibodies at the start of February

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) took blood samples from 30,000 adults across England and found 18.5 per cent had Covid antibodies, up from 10 per cent in December. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2Naxlei

Next phase of UK's Covid vaccine roll-out 'will focus on ethnicity and NOT occupation'

No10's vaccine experts, who will meet today to finalise their recommendation, are expected to advise the UK scheme continues with an age-based approach and includes BAME groups. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3do9iU1

Coronavirus UK: Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi hails 'really encouraging' signs that jabs work

Mr Zahawi said upcoming studies of virus transmission by Oxford and of the effect on healthcare workers and care home residents and staff by PHE will be vital in the bid to end lockdown. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jT5SJQ

UK spots 33 cases of ANOTHER Covid variant

The strain - dubbed B.1.525 - has the E484K mutation that makes the current crop of jabs less effective. It was first identified in Britain, but experts say this doesn't mean it evolved here. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jRqYbE

'Stay at home' message will be shown the door: Strict lockdown set to be lifted by Boris Johnson

The UK Prime Minister will end tough restrictions next month that mean people can only leave their homes for work, exercise or to buy essentials. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3u4K56E

Britain records 9,765 Covid cases in smallest daily rise since OCTOBER

Britain recorded just 9,765 coronavirus cases in the smallest daily rise since October, as health bosses also announced 230 more deaths. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37eFzZO

HALF of pubs did not enforce basic Covid safeguards last summer

A Scottish Government-funded study that investigated 29 licensed premises last summer found 11 did not stop punters singing, shouting or mingling with other households. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3k3Trvb

Fury as millions of asthmatics are told they will NOT be prioritised for a Covid vaccine

It means only Uk asthma patients who are formally shielding, have been prescribed steroid tablets or have ever had an emergency hospital admission will be prioritised. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37hZFCm

Nigella Lawson, 61, gets text message for Covid vaccination

The handful of cases underline the disparity in the speed at which older people are being offered the vaccine in different places across the country. Wales is already inviting over-50s, for example. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37fB1lP

Covid England: Infection rates triple in 0.6% of wards in a week

EXCLUSIVE: Official coronavirus data shows infections have dropped in 301 out of 315 authorities across England while the number of inpatients with Covid-19 has dropped from 34,000 to 18,000. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qAc4JD

Coronavirus UK: Study finds no evidence schools drive Covid outbreaks

Dr Mike Tildesley and Dr Ed Hill, of Warwick University and members of the SAGE advisory group, said their study was not evidence that schools were safe and called for reopening to be 'cautious'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jSsE4L

Covid UK: Boris Johnson says pubgoers WON'T need 'vaccine passport'

During a visit to a community vaccination centre in Orpington, South East London, today, Mr Johnson admitted the jab passports were being looked at for international travel. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2OuD3YD

British scientists develop new saliva test for Covid-19

Developers of the so-called 'Insight' test from the Wellcome Sanger Institute say their proof-of-concept design could easily be scaled up and would be easier to use than the current swab tests. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2OzivOT

Covid-19 symptoms: Children HALF as susceptible to infection

Research on 637 households in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish city of Bnei Brak in Israel revealed children are 43 per cent as susceptible to Covid-19 infection and 37 per cent less infectious. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tRG8SG

White NHS staff are almost TWICE as likely as black medics to get a Covid vaccine

Only 64 per cent of staff at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust had got their first dose of the Covid vaccine by February 3, a study showed. This was below 85 per cent for herd immunity. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2LXCA0o

Hero doctor rescues Oxford vaccine doses from burning building after health centre burst into flames

Volunteers have praised a doctor who was seen hauling a refrigerated container full of precious Covid-19 vaccines out of a burning health centre in Surrey on Saturday afternoon. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NqhU1i

Fifth phase of vaccine rollout starts as people aged 65 and over will be offered first Covid jab

In another step towards a return to normality in Britain, people aged 65 and over and younger people in at-risk groups will now be offered the Covid jab from today. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jOgQjO

Coronavirus: Could the UK go quicker with its vaccines?

The NHS has immunised a staggering 3million people in the UK in the past week but experts are anxious for the pace to remain high and keep accelerating as the demand for second doses is set to soar. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZcPTNe

UK hits 14million Covid vaccines as NHS dishes out another 500,000 doses

Mark Drakeford, the nation's first minister, claimed local health teams have now offered first doses to everyone in the first four priority groups. He hailed the 'truly phenomenal effort'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tP8g9b

Symptom-tracking app predicts Covid prevalence will fall to 85,000 infected on day schools re-open

ZOE Covid-19 Symptom Study estimated there would be 3,373 cases a day by March 8 - the equivalent of 1 in 780 Britons suffering from the virus. They said this would allow a re-opening. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3qdJBZG

UK may debate allowing 'big wave' of Covid once over-50s vaccinated

Boris Johnson will reveal his roadmap out of lockdown on February 22 and scientists have warned there needs to be a discussion about the level of risk we allow in society. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/37bwi4G

Apples boost brain function and 'can reduce Alzheimer's risk'

Experts from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) observed the creation of memory-boosting neurons in the brain, due to compounds from apples. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2N4aiBH

Teachers and police officers 'will be first in line for Covid vaccines when the over-50s are jabbed'

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations - which designed the UK's priority list - is set to make the recommendation within two weeks, according to reports. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rN55gp

Coronavirus: Parts of country have already dished out first doses to nearly 90% of 70-74 year olds

The NHS England statistics, which go up to February 7, show Somerset had given at least one dose to 93.4 per cent of all of its over-70s. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jDTkWT

Only four areas saw a spike in Covid infection rates during first week of February, figures reveal

PHE data shows 144 out of 149 local authorities (97 per cent) in England recorded a drop in the weekly rate of Covid cases and one area remained unchanged in the seven days to February 7. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aZuZ9M

Covid UK: 13,494 new cases as daily death toll falls 26% to 678

The Department of Health figures for the UK come after Public Health England data show positive tests fell in every region and age group, plus 145 local authorities, in the latest week. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3d57sqO

Covid lockdown could wind down in May if UK follows Israel's roadmap

Israel has started implementing a three-stage plan to exit Covid restrictions - similar to the blueprint Boris Johnson is set to lay out on February 22. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3d1JrkA

Injected arthritis drug reduces risk of death from Covid-19 by 4%, study finds

The drug tocilizumab is used by rheumatoid arthritis patients in the UK because it can control swelling inside the body. It costs around £615 per four-week dose when used for that purpose. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2MZ2SzA

Covid England: Number of positive tests fell 24% last week

With all key metrics now showing the country is well past the peak, pressure is mounting on No10 to significantly ease curbs when Boris reveals his 'route map' out of the lockdown later this month. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2Z6DiLz

Experimental Covid drug may alleviate symptoms within just TWO hours

Trial participant Yair Tayeb, 49, (left) said he felt better two hours after receiving the drug - named Allocetra - which suppresses the body's immune response to cut the risk of organ failure. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tYXhu2

Covid UK: Vaccine centre stands idle due to rigid NHS priority rules

Sir Paul Nurse, 72, said hundreds of volunteers are left standing around at the Francis Crick Institute's vaccination centre in London. He said said vaccines have been left unused in the fridge. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jFqxRx

NHS waiting list for routine operations hits 12-year high with almost 225,000 patients

The number of patients waiting 52 weeks or more for surgery had been below 2,000 for almost every month in 2019, data shows. Leading medics said figures reveal 'toll' on NHS. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pajz8r

Covid-infected woman needs three fingers amputated

Doctors in Italy, who had to cut off her gangrenous fingers, called her case a 'severe manifestation' of coronavirus. She is believed to have suffered blood clots as a side effect of her infection. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3p97lgf

Bristol Covid variant could reinfect vaccinated Britons, SAGE expert warns

Professor John Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said it could be 'very dangerous' to the UK's vaccination programme if the mutant strain is allowed to spread. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2ZcPrhX

Hunt for the 2million unvaccinated Britons as Boris Johnson urges vulnerable people to come forward

While 13 million in the most vulnerable categories have had the jab, the Prime Minister highlighted there was still a group roughly twice the population of Birmingham who had yet to get one. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pdCRcW

NHS hospitals in England 'cut routine operations by a QUARTER in January'

NHS figures also revealed there were 103,491 patients in England who needed to be seen within a month, but Covid hospitalisations surged in late December after infections spiked. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rEUYKz

NHS begins trial of stimulant that could improve blood flow in the lungs of Covid patients

Scientists at the University of Oxford will test how effective almitrine bismesylate is at treating Covid in a 116-patient trial starting this week at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tGv9vD

Britain's winter Covid wave continues to shrink: Cases fall by third and deaths by a quarter

With all key metrics now pointing towards a quickly shrinking epidemic, pressure is mounting on the UK Government to start dropping the most brutal lockdown curbs. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3p7SbYA

WHO recommends Oxford AstraZeneca Covid vaccine for over-65s

Dr Alejandro Cravioto, a director at the WHO, said in a briefing that the jab could be given 'without an upper age limit' and he said doses should ideally be spaced by between 8 and 12 weeks. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aY28mC

Pensioner calls his local Covid jab clinic to get appointment... only to be told they had run out

Paul Hardy, 70, from County Durham, said when he eventually got through to the receptionist at his local vaccination centre she said she wanted to 'wring' Mr Hancock's neck. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jNxFM5

UK could give coronavirus vaccines to children by the end of the year

England's deputy chief medical officer revealed that 'several' trials were about to get underway to test whether the current crop of Covid jabs are both safe and effective in youngsters. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3cYDbK6

Covid UK: Experts say vaccines drive needs to speed up

Despite its small population on the global standings, the UK has administered a whopping 13.2million out of 146million doses given out internationally. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2OljQsl

Is NHS about to add more symptoms to official Covid list?

Swabs and questionnaires done on more than a million people in England found infected patients were equally as likely to suffer headaches, muscle pains, chills or loss of appetite. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q87RfD

Senior NHS therapist likens suffering of youngsters under lockdown to horrors of WWI

The impact of lockdown and the grief of losing 113,850 people to the virus will cause a trauma 'time-bomb' which could see people die young, NHS therapist Mark Rayner said. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2LC5frw

UK autumn Covid lockdown 'too late', Professor Neil Ferguson says

Professor Neil Ferguson - a former Sage adviser - also warned face masks and social distancing measures are likely to stay in place for at least a year because of the risk from mutant variants. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rCw0LO

Could Covid cause HICCUPS? Doctors believe two-week bout of hiccups were caused by the illness

The 48-year-old, from Egypt, first developed a fever, which he treated with over-the-counter medicine. But then his seven-day bout of hiccups kicked in, becoming even more severe. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q9orvV

New coronavirus closely linked to SARS-CoV-2 is discovered in bats in Thailand

SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19, shares 91.5 per cent of its genetic code with that of the newly-identified virus in Thailand, which has been called RacCS203. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2MV4Alw

Doctors warn face masks can pose a risk of eye injury

A man, 51, had to go to hospital in Hong Kong after he scratched his eye while taking off his face mask during his lunch break at work. He scraped his eye after flipping the mask while pulling it off. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/372fuwL

Coronavirus UK: Call for probe into spike in care home deaths

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable has written to Boris Johnson to urge him to launch a public inquiry into the death toll in care homes, which accounts for about a third of all deaths from the virus in the UK. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tKptAM

Waiting more than a YEAR for NHS treatment will become the norm after Covid pandemic

In a letter to the prime minister, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the UK public should not expect non-Covid care to rebound as quickly as it did last summer. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NebIcN

Thousands of vulnerable patients not told to shield during Covid pandemic due to out of date records

National Audit Office found hospital records shield system relied on were weeks out of date or had missing or wrong phone numbers. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tLiAyO

Is this the study that will finally END lockdown?

The Pfizer vaccine starts to immunise in as little as two weeks and is just as effective in the elderly as it is in the young, official findings will reveal in the coming days. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3cWPJSh

36 people developed rare blood disorder after covid vaccination

At least 36 people have developed a rare, life-threatening blood disorder, called thrombocytopenia, after receiving either of the two COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the US. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2OqfPDf

Furious Tories savage Matt Hancock over 'forever lockdown'

Matt Hancock was assailed by demands for an exit strategy when he unveiled the latest squeeze aimed at preventing variant coronavirus strains getting into the country. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rFSGdY

Covid England and Wales: ONS data shows where second wave hit hardest

Experts said the figures painted a pictured of the 'huge differences' in how the virus struck areas of the country today, adding it appeared some areas 'got off lightly' in the first wave of the pandemic. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jwMkuG

Losing your sense of smell can put you off sex, study says

US researchers found a link between a loss of olfactory function and decreased 'sexual motivation and emotional satisfaction' in older US adults. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q4exLZ

South African variant 'NOT a reason for alarm': Lead scientist behind Oxford Covid jab trial says

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, hinted that evidence from Oxford's own trials in South Africa strongly indicated the vaccine still prevents serious illness and death. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36W9SE9

Vaccinated Brits could be given scannable QR codes that allow them to travel abroad

At least eight companies have been awarded UK Government grants to develop schemes that would allow users to carry digital proof that they have received an approved Covid-19 jab. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/39ZMVSx

Coronavirus: Testing survey suggests headache and tiredness more common than fever

Office for National Statistics testing shows that fewer than half of people testing positive for coronavirus had any symptoms at all, with cough the most common at 30% in England. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36UjrU4

US Covid expert Anthony Fauci calls for double-masking to slash the spread of coronavirus

Dr Benjamin Killingley, who is advising the UK's pandemic response, said the claim was not 'grounded in lots of study' and warned it could be uncomfortable to wear two masks at the same time. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36VWekK

England and Wales recorded 8,433 coronavirus victims in second week of January, second deadliest

Office of National Statistics data shows this was 11 more fatalities than the previous week, when 8,422 succumbed to the virus. Care home residents accounted for a third of Covid deaths. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3cUEV77

Britain could be trapped in lockdown cycles for 'several YEARS', top SAGE scientist warns

Professor Sir Ian Boyd, from the University of St Andrews and a member of SAGE, said potentially jab-resistant strains means the UK could be stuck in a pattern of 'control and release for a long time'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aG6JJG

Frontline nurses in danger of 'slipping through the net' of the Government's vaccine drive

Some 15 per cent of nurses across the country have yet to be given a single dose of the coronavirus vaccine, a study by the Royal College of Nurses has found. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q88Nkc

Boris Johnson is urged to toughen border controls

The Prime Minister has been urged to toughen border controls after a passenger arriving from South Africa revealed she walked through Heathrow unchecked. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q555I7

COVID patients treated with hepatitis drug FOUR times more likely to have cleared infection quickly

Researchers gave half of a group of 60 coronavirus patient one injection of the drug and the other half a placebo. Patients given the drug were four times more likely to have undetectable loads within one week. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jHmXqp

Jab that perks up a man's love life... and may help ward off type 2 diabetes

A new study shows that having testosterone jabs every three months could prevent diabetes type 2 from developing in at risk overweight men who also have low testosterone levels. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2YWksa7

Men with higher blood pressure at night '1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia'

Swedish researchers tracked a sample of men in their seventies with higher blood pressure at night than during the day - a condition called as 'reverse dipping'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3cVIg5Y

Street lamps can increase your risk of thyroid cancer by up to 55%, study shows

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center looked for a link between people developing thyroid cancer and levels of artificial outdoor light. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36RRkoP

An extra 10,000 people will be tested for Covid in Manchester after four cases of new Kent strain

Some 10,000 extra tests will be rolled out in Manchester from Tuesday after four new cases of the coronavirus variant were found in the city. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q43en5

Covid UK: Over-70s told to contact NHS for vaccination NOW

NHS England has changed its messaging from 'we will contact you' to 'contact us' as No10 races towards its target of vaccinating the 15million most vulnerable people by February 15. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q5jvIu

NHS Covid app has alerted 1.7million people to tell them to isolate since it was launched

A total of 21.6million people in England and Wales have signed up to the service, the equivalent of 60 per cent of the adult population. But No10 has refused to say how many are active users. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q6zCVW

Anthony Fauci says anti-vaxxers will stop coronavirus eradication

The top US infectious diseases expert compared efforts to eradicate Covid-19 to measles which, despite having a 98 per cent effective vaccine, still has not disappeared due to falling jabs uptake. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aN33WQ

Brazilian Covid strain 'will inevitably end up in UK', say experts

Health ministries in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands also claim to have discovered cases of the dangerous strain. Experts say it is likely the strain will soon arrive on Britain's shores. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2N2cOIq

AI can determine whether you'll die from Covid-19 with 90% accuracy

University of Copenhagen researchers fed a computer program with health data from 3,944 Danish COVID-19 patients - training it to recognise patterns in prior illness and bouts of coronavirus. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q0LuZz

Pfizer's Covid vaccine WILL work against South African variant, study says

Researchers at New York University tested how well the blood of people who had received the vaccine could destroy the coronavirus, and found it still worked but was slightly weaker. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jvdwdp

UK faces more restrictions if South African Covid variant continues to spread, SAGE scientist warns

During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, the Prime Minister said: 'We're very confident in all the vaccines that we're using.' from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q1P1Xw

Covid: WHO chief praises UK praised for second dose delay

Dr David Nabarro, chief Covid-19 expert at the World Health Organization, said Britain had taught 'a great lesson to the rest of the world' with its pioneering but controversial dosing plan. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rxiB7J

Covid vaccine centre in Hackney is forced to close early because of 'really low uptake'

The John Scott inoculation hub in Hackney, East London, claimed 'really slow patient uptake' forced it to close at 2pm on three days last week. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rz3aMg

Vapers up to 17% more likely to spread coronavirus, study says

Researchers from Mexico, Italy and New Zealand said that when vapour is blown out from e-cigarettes it could carry up to 1,000 coronavirus droplets at a time, but was less risky than coughing. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2YV4MDR

Mother has rare 'double pregnancy' as she conceives daughter weeks after falling pregnant with son

Rebecca Roberts, 39, was stunned when she found out she was having twins but a rare phenomenon called superfetation meant she got pregnant with Rosalie while already carrying Noah. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2YSu1qe

Boris faces Tory demands to drop ALL curbs by MAY amid SAGE warnings

Boris Johnson is under renewed pressure to step up lockdown easing after the government revealed that the top nine groups - around 32million people - should be given jabs by the spring. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36O1BSG

UK signs deal for 50million doses of Covid vaccines to target potentially jab-resistant variants

The Department of Business announced the deal with German biotech firm CureVac today. It has not said which strains are being targeted, but it is likely to include the South African variant. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36KQzxP

Daily Covid infections fell by 29% last week to 20,360, symptom tracker app finds

King's College London's Covid Symptom Study estimates there are currently 20,360 Brits falling unwell with the disease every day, down 29 per cent on the 28,645 last week. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3cJDJU4

Hundreds of teachers in London 'book Covid vaccine through NHS booking link sent on Whatsapp'

A staff member at a school in the capital, who asked not to be named, said he had been sent a link to book the appointment on Whatsapp. Manchester has reportedly started giving jabs to over-60s. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rrA3L4

Jeremy Hunt claims Covid restrictions should stay until England has fewer than 1,000 per day

Jeremy Hunt urged ministers to take a cautious approach, warning the game has changed significantly over Christmas with the arrival of the new variants. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/39OsCr2

Hospital that treated Captain Tom had 'significant' number of people catch Covid in hospital

Bosses at the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, where Captain Tom Moore was treated before he died, raised concerns about struggles to contain the 'mutant virus' on its wards. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pRoqfV

White over-80s are almost TWICE as likely to have had jab than elderly black Britons, report reveals

Figures showed that 48 per cent of black Britons over-80 have been vaccinated in England, up until January 27, compared to 82 per cent of white elderly Britons. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2Z0m3vD

Coronavirus: How rates of over-70s jabbed is FOUR TIMES higher in South East London than Devon

The vaccines postcode lottery was laid bare today after NHS figures showed a huge gap in the proportion of over-70s receiving their first dose between different regions. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2Mx76yc

Coronavirus has been 'catastrophic' for cancer care in Europe, WHO warns

Dr Hans Kluge, regional director for Europe at the World Health Organization, warned death rates from cancer will surge in the coming years because of delays to scans and treatment in the pandemic. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2O9HIPG

Gout can be used to cut hospital times for coronavirus by reducing the need for oxygen therapy

Brazilian researchers found colchicine, which is used to treat gout, helped reduce the need for oxygen therapy by more than a third in hospital coronavirus cases in a 75-patient study. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tmkA0m

Covid UK: Pressure on NHS ICUs FINALLY eases as cases fall 41%

Public Health England figures published today reveal 146 out of 149 areas (98 per cent) recorded a drop in weekly positive tests in the seven days to January 31. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2YHzvUG

Maidstone has already tested 55% of the 10,000 resident target in frantic door-to-door blitz

Postcodes within the Kent and Hertfordshire towns are among eight places in England where the new strain, which is feared to be vaccine-resistant, is spreading in the community. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tsycYc

Test and Trace data shows Covid cases in England have plunged 41% in a fortnight

The programme reported 196,257 positive tests in the week up to January 27, down from 333,802 in the seven days to January 13. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3q1kPvC

Coronavirus: When WILL vaccinations free Britain from lockdown?

The UK is currently immunising an average of 345,000 people per day - 2.4million per week - which puts it on track to reach the most vulnerable priority groups by February 17. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3oMj8AX

UK vaccine minister says most 4,000 Covid variants exist worldwide

The Government vaccines tsar Nadhim Zahawi said that the UK was storing the mutations so it is better prepared to ensure vaccines can be updated as needed. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36YuonZ

Around 15% of Britons are refusing to get their Covid vaccine and uptake is lower in BAME groups

Nadhim Zahawi, the Covid vaccine deployment minister, said it was still the highest uptake of any UK vaccination programme run by the NHS, including the annual flu jab. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rkwNkh

Risk of getting coronavirus from ATMs, petrol pumps and pedestrian crossing buttons is low, study

Scientists found only 29 of the 350 swabs taken tested positive for the virus, or eight per cent. But even when the virus was found they said it was likely in too low amounts to trigger an infection. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rmZFso

Tory anger mounts over 'goalpost-shifting' on lockdown

Pressure is growing on Boris Johnson to commit to a major relaxation of the draconian measures within weeks, after the UK's rollout of jabs hit the milestone of 10million people covered. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3avdHkR

Covid survivors are TWICE as likely to suffer side effects from Pfizer's vaccine, data shows

The ZOE Covid-19 Symptom Study app revealed that 33 per cent who had previously contracted the virus experienced one or more mild side effects after seven days. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36GImKG

Over 200 care homes in England are failing to follow basic coronavirus protocols

The Care Quality Commission found Covid protocols were either inadequate or in need of improvement in 223 out of 575 facilities in England that it investigated last month (40 per cent). from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2YFUO9o

Covid UK: Daily infections fall to 19,202 with 1,322 deaths

Department of Health figures show both daily counts have dropped 25 per cent week-on-week as the lockdown continues to thwart the spread of the virus. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2O2mO50

Covid: Government knew South African variant in England in December

Public Health England confirmed cases of the South Africa variant in people who hadn't been to the country were found on December 22, January 5 and January 26 before the mass testing campaign. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tiobwB

Scientists urge No10 to ensure Brits get their second dose of Oxford vaccine after 12 weeks

Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick Medical School, appealed to ministers to keep to the 12-week gap saying 'you would not want to leave it much longer than that'. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jge0Up

Vaccine reducing Covid transmission could save tens of thousands of lives in UK

Research by SAGE members at Warwick University suggested vaccines effective at preventing coronavirus transmission could significantly reduce 2021's Covid death count. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3oN6zW5

London's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community does NOT have herd immunity

A study has said 64 per cent of community members had antibodies against the virus. But scientists caution it would be 'dangerous' to assume they have reached herd immunity. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jc2VE7

Matt Hancock blames 'lumpy supply' for Sunday blips in Covid vaccine rollout

Despite the UK's inoculation drive being an undoubted success, a trend has emerged in the figures showing a sharp drop-off in uptake on Sundays. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3jd2fOI

Promising antibody drugs might not work against new variants, scientists say

Lab tests found the experimental treatments, known as monoclonal antibodies, failed to neutralise strains one or more of strains which emerged in Kent, South Africa and Brazil. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3toPqWk

Coronavirus UK: Oxford and AstraZeneca to make new vaccine by AUTUMN

Sir Mene Pangalos, a director at AstraZeneca, today said 'we're very much aiming to have something ready by the autumn this year' as an Oxford said the virus would continue mutating. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3czSb0P

One in seven people in England had coronavirus antibodies in mid-January

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) tested the blood of more than 1,300 people across the country and found 15.3 per cent tested positive for antibodies - up from 10 per cent in December. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2MRpmSI

Britons who fight off a coronavirus infection are immune to the virus for at least six months

UK Biobank scientists found Covid-19 antibodies persisted for six months in 88 per cent of those that fought off an infection, and were maintained in 99 per cent for three months. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3toUdXU

Scientists say CHILDREN should be vaccinated against coronavirus

Dr Anthony Costello, a paediatrician at University College London and member of Independent SAGE, warned experts are still baffled by the long-term complications of coronavirus. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pHorCR

Britain records 16,840 Covid cases in lowest daily figure in eight weeks

Britain today recorded 16,840 Covid cases in the lowest daily rise in eight weeks. Department of Health figures also showed deaths are continuing to fall, with another 1,449 victims. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2YETgfC

Number of NHS beds taken by Covid patients could fall to 'November levels by March 8'

Patients in hospital with coronavirus across England have been falling at an average of 479 per day over the last 13 days, according to figures from the Health Service Journal (HSJ). from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rglVnD

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will not be recommended for over-65s in France or Sweden

It comes after Germany advised against administering the jab to those over 65 and Emmanuel Macron claimed it was 'almost ineffective' for the age bracket. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rfHCUK

Coronavirus: Mutations found in South African variant are appearing in cases caused by Kent strain

A Public Health England report confirmed that scientists have found at least 11 cases where the Kent variant also had a mutation found in the South African strain, which it doesn't usually carry. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2O0F9PR

Russia's Covid vaccine 'Sputnik V' 92% effective, major study finds

Moscow scientists found just 16 out of 16,500 people given the two-dose jab - dubbed Sputnik V - developed symptoms, while no-one died from the disease or needed hospital treatment. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3cBR5BM

Alcohol-related deaths spiked during lockdown: Fatalities were highest on record between Ja

An Office for National Statistics report published today found booze was a contributing factor in 5,460 fatalities in England and Wales between January and September, a rate of 12.8 per 100,000. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/39F0l6a

Coronavirus vaccines could be tweaked to spark immunity against new variants in just three weeks

Professor Robin Shattock, who is working on booster shots against the variants, said the tweaked jabs could be got into Briton's arms within three months if required. Several are in development. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/36D3UrU

England and Wales recorded second deadliest week of pandemic in mid-January with 8,422 Covid victims

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows deaths from coronavirus were only higher in the week to April 17, when England and Wales were in the grip of the first wave. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pGXboe

Testing to find 'every single case' of South African variant among 80,000 Britons starts TODAY

Scientists are worried the South African strain may be able to evade vaccines and stressed that anyone who suspects they could be infected should self-isolate immediately. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2MQb3OA

NHS bosses need to expand the UK's official Covid symptom list

The group of 140 doctors from east London warned many patients who suffer from milder symptoms of the virus have often not even considered they may have it and have not self-isolated. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rhUR7k

Whole UK 'could be vaccinated by MAY' as Boris eyes school return

Boris Johnson is said to have ordered a ramping up of preparations for children to get back in classrooms - despite anxiety from scientists that the date he has set will be too early. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NYQ7p2

Ban on care home visits could be made ILLEGAL

Legislation has been drafted to stop families being torn apart. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pFK6eW

Teenager who has been in 11-month coma wakes up with no knowledge of Covid pandemic

Joseph Flavill, 19, was hit by a car near his home in Tutbury last March - three weeks before Britain was plunged into lockdown. After spending nearly a year in a coma, he is on the road to recovery. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/39FZQZT

Women who work outdoors in the sunshine are 17% LESS likely to get breast cancer

Danish researchers believe high levels of vitamin D, which is made by the body when exposed to sunlight as well as after eating specific foods, may be behind the link. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3rpOb7B

Brazil patients test positive for TWO coronavirus variants at the same time

Researchers at Feevale University made the discovery after swabbing 90 infected people in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2MOz9cw

Britain records fewest Covid deaths since December with 406 more victims

Britain today recorded the fewest daily coronavirus deaths since December, with officials posting just 406 more victims. Department of Health figures also show cases are continuing to fall. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3czwXAf

The South African coronavirus variant: everything we know about it

There are mutations on the South African variant of the virus that have led to concerns that it might be able to resist some of the immunity developed in response to older strains or to vaccines. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3crOUkh

Shut Ins: Britain's Fattest People: Mum-of-three who weighed 30st shows off 8st weight loss

Samantha, 35, from Hartlepool, tipped the scales at 30st at her heaviest. In tonight's episode of Channel 4's Shut Ins: Britain's Fattest People, she reveals her 8st weight loss. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tjS0wS

Coronavirus variants may start in people with weak immune systems

Doctors in Boston, Massachusetts, treated a man for a months-long infection and found dozens of changes in the virus over the multiple swab tests they did while he was sick. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3tfvSDv

Door-to-door testing for South African variant to start in Surrey

Health chiefs will carry out 'surge testing', in which residents in the Goldsworth Park and St Johns areas of Woking will be visited and requested to take a PCR test regardless of symptoms. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3aCl9uH

Urgent children's operations including fracture fixes and biopsies cancelled

The procedures were allegedly cancelled at hospitals in London and the Midlands. Many were marked as 'Priority 2', meaning they should be done within a month. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3r8Mvz0

Is the Kent variant REALLY deadlier than original Covid strains?

The King's College London scientists say they found 'no significant difference' in disease suffered by region before or after the Kent variant emerged in early December and spread across the country. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3r80Yv2

Matt Hancock 'vetoed' UK-US vaccine deal because it DIDN'T guarantee the UK would get supplies first

The Health Secretary torpedoed a deal between the University of Oxford and American pharma giant Merck over fears that Donald Trump could ban exports of the live-saving drug. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3j3TTJh

NHS will take months to return to normal in England, says hospitals boss

Chris Hopson, the chief of NHS Providers, said doctors and nurses need a chance to 'decompress and recover' after working at an 'intense fever pitch' during the pandemic. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pD36dY

Deadly toll of scrapped cancer surgery is revealed

Tens of thousands of cancer patients have missed out on potentially lifesaving treatment. Surgery to remove tumours plummeted by one third during the first wave of coronavirus. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3pNWhqd

New weapon in battle with cancer caused by asbestos

Results from a trial show the drug nivolumab can help keep the aggressive disease mesothelioma at bay for months or even years. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2NSLhcT

DR ELLIE CANNON: How do I stop the terrifying dreams that make me lash out at my wife as I sleep?

DR ELLIE CANNON answers a question from a 76-year-old man who suffers from recurring nightmares that often feature him being chased or attacked. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/2Yw2bQI

Is there anyone listening?

EVE SIMMONS: Last week, Olga Freeman pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility after suffocating her ten-year-old son Dylan last summer. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/39D6KyI

I thought I was too young for bowel cancer says DR PHILIPPA KAYE

DR PHILIPPA KAYE: There's a type of patient every GP dreads. They explain their symptoms: persistent pain, a lump, or bleeding from somewhere unexpected. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/39wr70t

Scientists trial whether candy could detect an infection because of a loss of taste and smell

Researchers at The Ohio State University will ask participants every day for 90 days to sniff and eat one of eight different flavors of hard candy and log its flavor and its intensity. from Health News | Mail Online https://ift.tt/3r42wWK