40 articles from SUNDAY 22.3.2020

GMC concerned about doctors exploiting coronavirus fears

Medical watchdog responds after physician alleged to have made £1.7m profit from tests Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe General Medical Council (GMC) has raised concerns that some doctors are “exploiting patients’ vulnerability” and are seeking to make hundreds of thousands of pounds selling private coronavirus tests to people worried that they may have been...

Starwatch: zodiacal light glows faintly in the dark sky

Dust from comets, asteroids and even from the creation of the solar system can be seen on dark moonless nights in late MarchOur solar system is littered with dust and late March is a good time to see it; but it’s only visible from a truly dark, rural sky. It’s called the zodiacal light and the dust that creates it comes primarily from the tails of comets, and colliding asteroids. Some may even...

The Guardian view on the coronavirus crisis: much worse is to come

The UK expects thousands of deaths, and dangerously mixed messages risk making an already grave situation worseData shows that the UK’s coronavirus outbreak is following a similar trajectory to Italy’s, with around a two-week delay. While panic will not help anyone, the only rational reaction to this information is serious alarm. On Saturday, 793 fatalities took Italy’s death toll, already...

UK coronavirus live: Johnson threatens stricter measures if people flout social distancing rules as deaths reach 281 - as it happened

Boris Johnson holds daily briefing; shops under pressure to close; rough sleepers race against time to self-isolateThis live blog is closed. Follow our global coronavirus coverage liveNo 10 denies claim Dominic Cummings argued to ‘let old people die’Shop and factory closures ‘will push UK into deep recession’Rishi Sunak under pressure to bail out self-employedSee all our coronavirus...

As Natural Disasters Strike, a New Fear: Relief Shelters May Spread Virus

WASHINGTON -- Coast-to-coast storms. A spate of wildfires. Flooding in Hawaii. As the United States rushes into disaster season, federal officials now have an added crisis to worry about: How to stop tightly packed disaster-response shelters from becoming hot spots of coronavirus transmission.The virus is forcing emergency managers to rethink long-held procedures for operating shelters like these...

Stormy pattern to ramp back up across Northwest following early March dry spell

Following a drier than normal start to March for much of the Pacific Northwest, stormy weather will return to the region through midweek."A series of weak storms is expected to push onshore and move through the Pacific Northwest through the middle of the week," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert.The increased stormy activity is expected to begin early Monday, as the first...

I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share

Being stuck at home can be challenging. When I lived on the International Space Station for nearly a year, it wasn't easy. When I went to sleep, I was at work. When I woke up, I was still at work. Flying in space is probably the only job you absolutely cannot quit.But I learned some things during my time up there that I'd like to share -- because they are about to come in handy again, as...

Coronavirus: meet the scientists who are now household names

From the UK to Australia, medical experts suddenly find themselves in the Covid-19 spotlightCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThey are the faces of the crisis, the scientists explaining nightly to anxious audiences how the governments they advise plan to contain the coronavirus. Unknown to most a few short weeks ago, many have since become household names. But who are...

Germany's low coronavirus mortality rate puzzles experts

Some query data methodology while others say it gives more accurate picture of threatCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGermany’s relatively low mortality rate continues to puzzle experts as Covid-19 spreads across Europe, with some arguing the country’s figures give a more accurate approximation of the threat posed by the novel coronavirus, while others question the...

Coronavirus: what happens to people's lungs when they get Covid-19?

Respiratory physician John Wilson explains the range of Covid-19 impacts, from no symptoms to severe illness featuring pneumoniaCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhat became known as Covid-19, or the coronavirus, started in late 2019 as a cluster of pneumonia cases with an unknown cause. The cause of the pneumonia was found to be a new virus – severe acute respiratory...

Pair of storms to bring snow to the Midwest, Northeast into early week

After a chilly start to spring across the Great Lakes and Northeast this weekend, a pair of storm systems will usher in wintry weather and snow to the regions early this week. The snowy weather will first target portions of the Midwest during the day on Sunday as a storm system lifts northeastward out of the South Central states.An expansive area of high pressure in place across the Great Lakes...

Covid-19 restrictions disrupt astronauts' preparations for ISS

Decades of traditions halted as concerns also grow for other space programmesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTraditions that spacefarers have observed for decades have fallen foul of efforts to rein in the coronavirus pandemic as astronauts and cosmonauts face more stringent quarantine measures before they blast into orbit.The next crew bound for the International...

'We give the kids elbow bumps': a headteacher’s coronavirus diary

One primary school head, Tony Davies, records a week of uncertainty, and then closureCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA member of staff calls me. She has been diagnosed with the virus at Addenbrooke’s hospital, but they haven’t tested her and aren’t planning to. I spend the afternoon calling the Department for Education helpline and my local health protection...

Medical students take final exams online for first time, despite student concern

Imperial College London believes the assessment of 280 students is a world firstCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMedical students have taken unsupervised exams from home for what could be the first time, as universities move to new ways of assessing final-year students during the coronavirus shutdown.Imperial College London put 280 sixth-year medicine undergraduates...

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

What are the symptoms caused by the virus from Wuhan in China, 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. It first emerged in the...

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...

Coronavirus in Australia: 26 infections from Ruby Princess contribute to largest daily rise in cases

Australia reaches 1,316 confirmed cases, 213 of them recorded in the past 24 hours, after large rises in several statesBackpacker parties in Bondi and the Ruby Princess cruise ship which docked in Circular Quay have been identified as key vectors in a record rise in Covid-19 infections in NSW, as Australia recorded its largest single-day increase since the outbreak began.Victoria added 67 to take...

‘Don’t make a drama’: a survival guide for parents during family isolation

Staying at home will put a huge strain on children and teenagers but, say psychologists, there are ways to use family lockdown as an opportunityCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt has been a busy week for adolescent therapist Alicia Drummond. As soon as the government announced schools were closing, parents and teachers started begging her for advice about teenagers...

From mere advice to full lockdown: the week when it all changed

A Tory government nationalising the economy and a country in lockdown marked the end point of a week like no otherCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOn Friday evening, after one of the most extraordinary weeks in British history, a cabinet minister was among those trying to compute the scale of the government’s response to the coronavirus threat. In the end, he was...

Damage reported in Croatian capital of Zagreb following 5.4 magnitude earthquake

The star marks the epicenter of a strong earthquake that rattled Croatia on Sunday morning, local time. (USGS) A strong earthquake rattled Zagreb on Sunday morning, local time, and images emerging from the Croatian capital show debris littering the streets.The temblor, which struck 5.7 miles (9.2 km) to the north of Zagreb and had a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km), was rated a magnitude-5.4,...

Italian PM warns of worst crisis since WW2 as coronavirus deaths leap by almost 800

Giuseppe Conte shuts down all non-essential factories and businesses as lockdowns spread across the world, including the US and IndiaCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageUK military drafted in to coordinate food supply for vulnerableItaly has shut all non-essential factories as the country takes increasingly drastic measures to halt the epidemic that claimed another 793...

Christmas Island discovery redraws map of life

The world's animal distribution map will need to be redrawn and textbooks updated, after researchers discovered the existence of 'Australian' species on Christmas Island.The University of Queensland's Professor Jonathan Aitchison said the finding revises the long-held understanding of the location of one of biology and geography's most significant barriers - the Wallace line.

Leaving care of the children's home -- for prison?

When 18-year-old youths transition out of children's homes, what crimes do they commit? How often? Does it get worse over time? These juveniles move into an uncertain world, highly vulnerable, and with little social capital. They are generally viewed as at risk for criminal activities, supported by limited research globally. An unusual, small 6-year longitudinal study in South Africa sheds light...