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23 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Bank of England must issue firm instructions to soften the coronavirus fallout

It’s nice of a few high street banks to offer repayment holidays but it’s a piecemeal approach. Threadneedle Street must step upThe Italian view of mortgages in the age of the coronavirus is big, bold and serious: payments can be suspended, says the government in Rome. So what about the UK? Where are our equivalent emergency measures, should they be needed?Well, there was a flurry of...

'We're a bit shocked': Italians on life under coronavirus lockdown

From Milan to Palermo in Sicily, few people are even venturing out for a coffee in the local barCoronavirus latest | At a glanceBar Il Sant’Andrea is something of a barometer for the liveliness of Orvieto, a hilltop town of about 4,000 people in Italy’s central Umbria region. On a typical morning, it would be buzzing with customers having coffee, chatting or reading the newspapers.On Tuesday,...

God, science, Mendel and Freeman Dyson | Letter

Brendan O’Brien points out that science and religion are not incompatibleIt is rather ironic that, in an editorial honouring the physicist Freeman Dyson, you should refer to another scientist, Gregor Mendel, as having “left science for God”, as if science and religion were incompatible (Thinkers make progress by getting things wrong as well as getting them right, Journal, 9 March).Your...

Johnson's majority slashed as 38 Tory rebels fire warning shot over Huawei's involvement in 5G - as it happened

MPs vote down Iain Duncan Smith’s amendment by 306 votes to 282, cutting Boris Johnson’s working majority of 87Government majority cut as almost 40 Tories rebel over Huawei 5.45pm GMT Related: Coronavirus live updates: number of deaths outside China passes 1,000 as Italy records highest one-day toll 5.20pm GMT The official division list for the Huawei vote is now up.Some 38 Tory MPs actively...

These self-appointed coronavirus experts really need to pipe down | Eleanor Margolis

Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and the Twitterati should leave the public announcements to the epidemiologistsI’m no financial expert, but – if you ask me – why not withdraw every last penny from your bank account, head to your nearest casino and put it all on red? You could literally double your money. Sure, something else could happen entirely. But all investments are risky, right? And, like I...

Get rich or die trying: the people trying to make money from coronavirus | Arwa Mahdawi

While most of us are attempting to stay calm and protect ourselves from the disease, others are keen to make a quick buck from the panicThe coronavirus crisis has revealed five distinct personality types. First, the paper panickers (PPs): the people stockpiling toilet paper. While most PPs are well aware that loo roll is inedible and does not wipe away the virus, they do not seem to care; they are...

Under coronavirus lockdown, Italy is finding a fragile sense of solidarity | Jamie Mackay

In Florence, where I live, the squares are empty. Despite political infighting, Italy is showing how to quell the panicOn Monday evening the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, announced that the whole of Italy was to be designated a “protected zone”, and placed under lockdown as cases of Covid-19 in the country rose to 9,172, with 463 deaths. For the next month, until 3 April, 60 million...

Looking for love? Wash your hands first, say dating apps

How dating apps are adapting to love in the time of coronavirusDating apps are adapting to love in the time of coronavirus, warning their users of the elevated risks of going on dates while trying to ensure they do not switch off entirely when the time comes to self-isolate.OKCupid, which prides itself on its data-led approach to dating, asking users to fill in detailed questionnaires and matching...

Scientists warn of 'critical gaps' in Australia's climate science capability

Exclusive: Australia needs the expertise to predict changes which have a major impact across the country, a review findsA government-backed review of Australia’s climate science capability has identified “critical gaps” in the nation’s ability to understand the processes that underpin climate change, with atmospheric modelling lagging other countries.It found Australia was in danger of...

With Italy on lockdown, fear over coronavirus is natural but we must not be alarmist | Gaby Hinsliff

It’s hard not to worry, but we have to hope the epidemiologists are giving the UK government the right adviceIn a epidemic, nothing spreads as fast as fear.There are only so many pictures of Italy’s deserted cafes and empty streets that the average Briton can look at without beginning to wonder why we’re not on lockdown too. Social media only feeds the hysteria, spawning endless...

Coronavirus map: all the confirmed US cases

As of Tuesday morning, the US has more than 500 confirmed cases across 35 statesCoronavirus: live updatesCoronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor?The number of cases of Covid-19 (coronavirus) continues to grow in the US. Mike Pence, the US vice-president, is overseeing the US response to coronavirus.So far, 80% of patients experience a mild form of the illness, which can...

UK shoppers rush to buy frozen food and freezers amid coronavirus outbreak

Freezer sales at AO.com and John Lewis soar as Iceland reports surge in frozen food purchasesCoronavirus – latest updatesSales of both freezers and frozen food have surged in the UK amid panic buying by Britons worried about the spread of coronavirus.The online appliance retailer AO.com said freezer sales jumped more than 200% last week as worried shoppers sought to increase their ability to...

There's no 'deadline' to save the world. Everything we do now has to pass the climate test | Damian Carrington

The climate crisis can’t be averted, it’s here. And with human suffering now a reality, governments can no longer stand idly byYou may have read that there are just eight, or 10, or 12 years to save the world from the climate crisis. There are not. It is already here, gaining strength every day as carbon emissions pour into the atmosphere. It is a slow-motion disaster. Action to avert the...

No elevated risk of coronavirus in pregnancy, experts say

No evidence virus passes to foetus during pregnancy, according to latest researchCoronavirus – latest updatesPregnant women do not appear to be more susceptible to severe Covid-19 symptoms and there is no evidence that the virus can pass to a baby during pregnancy, according to new guidance.The guidelines, issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives...

Second person cleared of HIV remains free of virus one year on

Researchers reveal Adam Castillejo still in remission 12 months after ‘cure’ declaredThe patient who became the second person ever to be cleared of HIV remains free of the virus a year after initial reports of a “cure”, researchers have revealed.Adam Castillejo, who was until Monday known only as the “London patient”, was declared free of HIV last year, 18 months after stopping...

Fighting coronavirus's economic effects will take more than interest rate cuts | Barry Eichengreen

Political leaders and central banks must listen to experts’ advice on containing the outbreakCoronavirus – latest updatesLast week, G7 finance ministers and central bank governors vowed to use “all appropriate policy tools” to contain the economic threat posed by the coronavirus. The question left unanswered is what is appropriate and what will work.The immediate response took the form of...

Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor?

What is Covid-19, how does it spread, what are the symptoms, and at what point should you call a doctor?Find all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to protect yourself from infectionCoronavirus – live news updatesIt is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. Continue...

Hopes rise over experimental drug's effectiveness against coronavirus

Many see remdesivir as one of few drugs that has reasonable prospect of helping patients A US biotech firm has ramped up production of an experimental drug that has become a focal point for hopes of an effective treatment for coronavirus.The first clinical trial of the antiviral medicine remdesivir in Covid-19 patients is due to report its findings next month according to Gilead Sciences, which...

Typhoid Mary: the super-spreader before the term even existed

Mary Mallon triggered multiple outbreaks in New York at the turn of the 20th century – and some believe she suffered prejudice not shown to other asymptomatic carriersMary Mallon was a super-spreader before the term existed, a disease carrier so notorious she acquired a celebrity nickname: Typhoid Mary.Mallon showed no symptoms but was infected with typhoid and triggered multiple outbreaks in...

Coronavirus live updates: Italy-wide lockdown comes into force

UK and US had worst days trading since 2008 GFC; Global cases near 110,000; Grand Princess passengers disembark. Follow the latest news. Cruise ship carrying at least 21 with coronavirus docks in CaliforniaUS pledges more testing as Trump hints at aid for workersQuarantined US congressman flew with Trump on Air Force OneGlobal stock markets post biggest falls since 2008 financial crisisItalian PM...

Covid-19: New Zealand government accused of 'flat-footed' response

Opposition claims not enough is being done to stimulate economy, despite Jacinda Ardern saying nation is in robust position to fight coronavirusThe New Zealand government’s economic response to coronavirus has been criticised as “startlingly flat-footed” and a symptom of “complacency”.On Tuesday, the New Zealand stock market dropped 4.85% in the first half hour of trading, prompting...

Women who were tall and lean in childhood more at risk of endometriosis – study

Study analysed data from more than 170,000 women born in Denmark between 1930 and 1996Girls who are tall and lean in childhood are more at risk of later developing endometriosis, research has found.Endometriosis is a painful, often debilitating, condition in which tissue similar to that found lining the womb is found elsewhere in the body, such as the bowel or ovaries. When it breaks down and...