Hundreds of scientists have supported an open letter pressing for ‘more restrictive measures’ to contain coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHundreds of scientists have written to the government urging immediate “more restrictive measures” be brought in to enforce social distancing, following the action plan it announced on Thursday.The 245 UK people...
And it will cost more here because of the UK pulling out of the European Medicines Agency on 30 December• Three experts explain why Brexit leaves the UK less able to respond to pandemic• Coronavirus – latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageThe UK faces having to wait longer and pay more to acquire a coronavirus vaccine because it has left the EU, health experts and international...
Andy Slavitt, formerly Medicare and Medicaid administrator, tweets outline of threat after ‘Trump’s months-long denial’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHospitals in the US could be overrun by coronavirus cases in little more than a week, a former Obama administration senior health official has warned, fearing a “tsunami-like” escalation that would leave tens...
The coronavirus should remind us of just why international cooperation is so important in reducing the threat of infectious disease• Coronavirus – latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageBrexit threatens the UK’s ability to respond to the novel coronavirus and future pandemicsThe coronavirus pandemic could not have come at a worse time for the UK and its citizens. Just as UK...
The WHO has declared the Covid-19 outbreak to be a pandemic. But what does that mean?Coronavirus latest - live updatesHow to protect yourself from infectionDeclaring a pandemic has nothing to do with changes to the characteristics of a disease, but is instead associated with concerns over its geographic spread. According to the World Health Organization, a pandemic is declared when a new disease...
It’s only when we run out of luck that we comprehend how precarious life can beSpeaking to parliament in 1855 as the carnage of the Crimean war grew, the radical MP John Bright produced an imperishable image. “The angel of death has been abroad throughout the land, you may almost hear the beating of his wings.”Death’s wings are beating countless millions towards the world of the sick...
Charlotte Amelia Poe grew up knowing she was different. Now it’s her mission – through her art and writing – to bring about changeFor artist and writer Charlotte Amelia Poe, 30, every day feels like a walk across a frozen pond. “It’s how it’s always been,” she explains. “You’re trying to navigate it and stay safe, but you’re aware that at any moment the ice is likely to crack,...
We’re fighting an ‘infodemic’ as well as a pandemic. A bit of online self-discipline is urgently requiredOn 15 February the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, addressed the Munich Security conference. At that moment, there were 66,000 cases of Covid-19 in China, and only 505 in the rest of the world. So most of us were probably still assuming...
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...
French minister says patients should take paracetamol rather than ibuprofen or cortisoneCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFrench authorities have warned that widely used over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs may worsen the coronavirus.The country’s health minister, Olivier Véran, who is a qualified doctor and neurologist, tweeted on Saturday: “The taking of...
Dr Tom Wingfield of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine answers our questions on Covid-19• Coronavirus latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageWhat is the best way to strengthen the immune system?The answer to this question is straightforward: the normal approach to healthy living. Have a balanced diet, try to get as much sleep as you can, exercise, don’t overwork. If you smoke,...
Dating has always carried risks, but now the stakes for ‘putting yourself out there’ are higher than everIn opposition to the smug marrieds, we singletons have always liked to position ourselves on the frontline of life, squaring off against creeps and weirdos in our valiant search for love. Already shut out of the property market and two-for-one meal deals, we’re now unfairly burdened by...
Saudi Arabia suspends all international flights; China records 11 new cases; WHO says Europe is at centre of pandemic. Follow live newsQueen forced to cancel engagements for first time Spain to enter state of emergency as EU nations step up measuresHow many will die of coronavirus in the UK?Social distancing: is it risky to go to the pub or gym?Share your experiences 5.05am GMT Australia’s chief...
Neighbours from Naples to Tuscany make harmonies across empty streets to lift spirits and pass the time during quarantineItalians have been singing from their balconies across the country, in an effort to boost morale during its nationwide lockdown that began this week, due to Covid-19.Videos of Italian neighbours singing together have been appearing on social media after Italy’s prime minister...