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18 articles from Guardian Unlimited Science

Trials to begin on Covid-19 vaccine in UK next month

Researchers hope to conduct animal tests next week and safety trials as early as next monthCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA massive effort is under way to develop a UK vaccine for coronavirus within months and make it available to save lives before the end of the year, the Guardian has learned.Researchers at Oxford University, led by Prof Sarah Gilbert, are planning...

Nasa shortlists four astrophysics missions for 2025 launch

Four proposals will get funds for nine months of study before two are chosen to go aheadNasa has shortlisted four proposals for its next astrophysics missions, due for launch in 2025. The agency has funding to fly two of them, and the four will now each receive funds for a nine-month period of technical study. The two missions will be chosen next year.The competing proposals are: the...

The UK government's woeful response to the coronavirus outbreak | Letters

Guardian readers lament Boris Johnson’s failure to grasp the scale of the crisis, which was foreshadowed by cuts to the NHS and public servicesI could not agree more with Richard Horton (Scientists have been sounding the alarm on coronavirus for months. Why did Britain fail to act?, 18 March). Watching from 6,000 miles away and on the other side of the coronavirus curve, the British...

Cannes film festival postpones 2020 edition over coronavirus restrictions

France’s premier event will not go ahead in its traditional May slot after government measures forced its handThe Cannes film festival has postponed this year’s edition, it has announced.The festival made the news public on Thursday, saying that “several options are considered in order to preserve its running” – its preferred one being a shift of the festival to the end of June. The...

What are the prospects for a Covid-19 treatment?

Guardian science journalists pick out the most promising drugs and look at the evidence that they could workCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageChloroquine is a cheap, widely available drug that has been routinely used since 1945 against malaria and other conditions and can be safely taken by pregnant women and children. Lab studies found the antiviral drug was effective...

Police and health officials to be given powers to detain under UK emergency powers

Bill allows police and public health officials to order anyone believed to be infected to undergo testingCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePolice, public health and immigration officers will be able to detain people suspected of having Covid-19 and exact £1,000 fines for refusing tests under emergency powers rolled out by the UK government.The guidance detailed in the...

I'm the head of a medical school. But doctors like me are going back to the frontline | David Lomas

It will be tough, but this is what medical staff are trained to do. Now is our time to step up See all our coronavirus coverageThere has been a lot of public debate over the last few weeks over the role scientists are playing during the coronavirus crisis. In the space of just a few weeks, the likes of Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, and Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief...

'Community infections could happen any time': Kenya prepares for Covid-19

Africa is one of the last places to be hit by coronavirus, and experts are worried it doesn’t have the resources to copeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCallers to BK radio, a station broadcasting to the remote region around Mount Elgon in western Kenya, were worried on Wednesday evening.“Will the government help us if we stay indoors and we need food?” one...

Coronavirus means difficult, life-changing decisions for me and my cancer patients

How do we choose between under-treating vulnerable cancer patients and potentially exposing them to Covid-19?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe way we treat cancer over the next few months will change enormously. As oncologists, we will have to find a tenuous balance between under-treating people with cancer, resulting in more deaths from the disease in the medium to...

France may refuse entry to Britons if no strict lockdown is imposed in UK

French PM says UK citizens may not be allowed in as part of measures to fight coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFrance has warned it may start turning travellers from Britain away unless the UK adopts a similar near-total lockdown to those in place in other European countries.With EU governments including Italy, Spain and France requiring citizens to stay at...

Will coronavirus lead to drug shortages for the NHS? | Andrew Hill

The global pandemic is exposing Britain’s dangerous reliance on imported medicinesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe coronavirus pandemic has increased the risk of shortages of several essential medicines. Raw materials for many key drugs, such as antibiotics and statins, are manufactured in China, where factories have been disrupted by efforts to contain the...

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

What are the symptoms caused by the new coronavirus, how does it spread, and should you call a doctor?Find all our coronavirus coverage hereCoronavirus – latest updatesHow to protect yourself and others 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. The World Health Organisation has...

Coronavirus is a political problem, not just a health problem. Remember that when you vote | Kelly Candaele

There’s a connection between America’s lack of commitment to collective wellbeing and the social disaster we suffer in times of crisisI don’t know if I have had the coronavirus (Covid-19). What I do know is that I developed pneumonia two weeks after returning to Los Angeles in early February from a visit with my wife’s family in northern Italy. Related: Italy records its deadliest day of...

Coronavirus UK: how many confirmed cases are in your area?

Latest figures from public health authorities on the spread of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. Find out how many cases have been reported near youCoronavirus - live news updatesFind all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to protect yourself from infectionPlease note: these are government figures on numbers of confirmed cases - some people who report symptoms are not being tested, and are not...

Greenland's melting ice raised global sea level by 2.2mm in two months

Analysis of satellite data reveals astounding loss of 600bn tons of ice last summer as Arctic experienced hottest year on recordLast year’s summer was so warm that it helped trigger the loss of 600bn tons of ice from Greenland – enough to raise global sea levels by 2.2mm in just two months, new research has found.The analysis of satellite data has revealed the astounding loss of ice in just a...

Coronavirus live news: WHO calls Covid-19 'enemy against humanity' as Italy deaths jump

UK announces school closures and plans to double military force; Qantas to cut 20,000 jobs and end international flights. Follow the latest updates. Coronavirus latest: at a glanceFollow our US coronavirus live blogFollow our Australia coronavirus live blogSee all our coronavirus coverageShare your experiences 12.43am GMT More on London’s public transport system now. Transport of London has...