Experts look at role of psychology in public responses to idea of quarantineCoronavirus – latest newsAs epidemiologists work round the clock to calculate the mortality rate of Covid-19, its ease of transmission and other vital statistics, a different group of experts are interrogating the role that human psychology could play in the unfolding pandemic.The government’s new measures, its experts...

Debris from thousands of disused satellites is in orbit around Earth. It can be buffeted around by space weather. We need better forecastsWhat’s the weather like in Earth’s upper atmosphere today? Most of us only care about how the weather feels on the Earth’s surface, but understanding “space weather” is becoming increasingly important. That’s because small changes in space weather...

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Ministers look to have given up on containment in favour of a novel approach some experts are wary ofCoronavirus: latest updatesHerd immunity is a phrase normally used when large numbers of children have been vaccinated against a disease like measles, reducing the chances that others will get it. As a tactic in fighting a pandemic for which there is no vaccine, it is novel – and some say...

Europe now centre of pandemic, says WHO, as Spain prepares for state of emergency Coronavirus latest - live updatesThe World Health Organization has stepped up its calls for intensified action to fight the coronavirus pandemic, imploring countries “not to let this fire burn”, as Spain said it would declare a 15-day state of emergency from Saturday.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director...

Now, more than ever, the NHS must prioritise care - not just for frail, elderly and vulnerable people but for staff tooCoronavirus – latest updatesThere’s a strange mood in the intensive care unit (ICU) where I work at the moment. It’s one of controlled planning, paperwork and people pulling together in ways that on a normal day perhaps wouldn’t happen.ICUs are as prepared as they can be....

The government is sticking to its cautious approach in dealing with the pandemic. But action on the ground may be overtaking this strategyFriday was the day when the coronavirus pandemic began to radically redraw the map of everyday life in Britain. Bill Shankly, Liverpool’s much-loved manager in the 1970s, is fondly remembered for suggesting that football was more important than matters of life...

What the statistics from the outbreak so far can tell us about infection and mortality ratesCoronavirus – latest updatesThe startling spread of the coronavirus across the globe is causing understandable alarm. But though it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions about how many deaths may occur, the statistics do point to general trends that can get lost in the drama.At present, one...

Streets, shops and public spaces to be cleared in next 24 hours after virus kills hundredsCoronavirus latest – live updatesIran’s Revolutionary Guards are to clear streets, shops and public places in the country within the next 24 hours, in a dramatic escalation of efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus.The near-curfew follows growing exasperation among MPs that calls for Iranian citizens...

The NBA has led by example and put public health above self-interest, which is more than the Trump administration can sayThose too busy emptying the Costco shelves of hand sanitizer and toilet paper might have missed the news that the National Basketball Association has suspended the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Other professional and college sports have since also suspended, cancelled...

With a ‘if we don’t test people, then the outbreak is contained’ approach to testing, the US can continue to vilify the rest of the world for their responses while not doing any better Yesterday, after nearly a month of acute and chronic health issues that continue to be unexplained, I took my husband – at the urging of his cardiologist – to the emergency room at St Thomas Hospital West...

It would be good to know the evidence for the UK strategy – which is starkly different to that of other countriesWith an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 coronavirus cases now present in the UK, the government has eschewed social distancing measures such as closing schools and banning large sporting events. Instead, it has opted for behavioural “nudges”: wash your hands, don’t touch your face,...

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

Trustworthy health advice has never been more vital – it could be the difference between life and death• Tom Phillips is the editor of Full FactLast year we had a call from a concerned but grateful parent. Having previously been sceptical about vaccines, having read one of our fact checks, she’d decided to go ahead and have her children vaccinated. It sticks in my mind as an example of the...

Sir Patrick Vallance says aim is to create herd immunity and broaden peak of epidemicCoronavirus – latest newsSir Patrick Vallance, England’s chief scientific adviser, has defended the government’s approach to tackling the coronavirus, saying the aim is to create “herd immunity” across the population.Critics including the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt have expressed concern about...

The Trump administration’s rhetoric will make this pandemic worse. Words are now a matter of life and death“Do me a favor, speed it up, speed it up.” This is what Donald Trump told the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference, recounting what he said to pharmaceutical executives about the progress toward a vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2...

First case at UN headquarters; Australian home affairs minister infected, schools close across EuropePandemic reaches world leaders and disrupts global sporting eventsKey developments at a glanceJustin Trudeau in self-isolation after wife tests positiveFirst case confirmed at UN headquartersMany infections spread by people yet to show symptoms – scientists 7.37am GMT Turkey has announced its...

Earliest case detected on 17 November, weeks before authorities acknowledged new virus, says Chinese mediaCoronavirus: lives updatesThe first case of someone suffering from Covid-19 can be traced back to 17 November, according to media reports on unpublished Chinese government data.The report, in the South China Morning Post, said Chinese authorities had identified at least 266 people who...

Justin Trudeau’s wife and diplomat at the UN test positive as Australian Grand Prix is cancelled and Arsenal and Chelsea teams affectedCoronavirus: latest updatesThe coronavirus has reached the highest levels of government and the sporting world, with Canada’s prime minister isolating himself when his wife tested positive, the Arsenal manager and a Chelsea player being diagnosed and the...

From exams to the five-day week, the pandemic is making us question our everyday practices. Some changes will stickFor days now, the list has been growing in my head. All the meetings, all the working coffees, everyone I bumped into in the street over the last week or two. The dinners with old friends, the book launch party, the kids’ sleepovers, the dog walks with neighbours and cups of tea...

A summary of the biggest developments in the global coronavirus outbreakFollow our latest coronavirus blog for live news and updatesKey developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include: Continue...