NHS England medical director tells MPs tests may be available within a couple of weeksCoronavirus – latest updatesAll our coronavirus coverageSelf-testing at home to find out whether somebody has had Covid-19 is an efficient way to find out if they are safe to return to work, a senior health official has said.Prof Yvonne Doyle, the medical director of NHS England, told the health select...

Evidence of Covid-19 RNA was found on a cruise ship 17 days after passengers left. What are the risks of handling packages and groceries?Coronavirus – latest US updatesLive global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMore people are staying indoors to avoid contact with people potentially infected by Covid-19. But in light of a recent report from the US’s Centers for Disease Control and...

Discovery adds to growing evidence that Neanderthals were very similar to modern humans Neanderthals made extensive use of coastal environments, munching on fish, crabs and mussels, researchers have found, in the latest study to reveal similarities between modern humans and our big-browed cousins.Until now, many Neanderthal sites had shown only small-scale use of marine resources; for example,...

PhD and master’s students worry their funding will run out as libraries and labs shutPhD and master’s students have signed an open letter asking to be given extensions to their funding by research councils so they can finish work disrupted by the coronavirus. The letter, which has more than 1,000 signatories across UK universities, asks for research councils to urgently publish a plan...

Remains of agile meat-eater show raptors were thriving right up to point asteroid struck 66m years agoA meat-eating dinosaur with a feathered body, iron grip and a tail for agile pursuit of prey, has been discovered by fossil hunters, revealing that raptor dinosaurs were thriving right up to the point the asteroid struck, 66m years ago.The remains, comprising about 20 bones, were found in the San...

Lifting restrictions in March could lead to new peak of cases in August, study suggestsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRelaxing physical distancing and school closures in Wuhan too soon could fuel a second wave of Covid-19 infections later in the year, scientists have said.A study published in the Lancet suggests lifting restrictions in March would lead to a surge in...

We don’t know exactly how many people have already been infected with the virus, but there’s no evidence it’s half the population • Adam Kucharski is an epidemiologist and author Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Earlier this month, the MSc students I teach at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ran an outbreak investigation as part of their...

Coronavirus – live updatesFull coronavirus coverageThe number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 continues to grow in the US. Mike Pence, the vice-president, is overseeing the US response to the coronavirus.So far, 80% of patients experience a mild form of the illness, which can include a fever and pneumonia, and many of these cases require little to no medical intervention. That being said, elderly...

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...

Climate change scientists planning to transcribe paper records from 1820s to 1950sWeather is a perennial British obsession, with some of the country’s rainfall and temperature records going back centuries. Some of this data has been invaluable in drawing up detailed pictures of the British climate, which have been influential in computer models used to forecast climate change.But some of it is...

Nicola Davis speaks to Dr Ian Bailey about the current guidance on taking ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during a Sars-CoV-2 infection. And, why there was concern about whether these medications could make symptoms of the disease worse Continue...

WTO warns economic impact will be worse than 2008; Spanish death toll higher than China’s; Prince Charles tests positive. Follow the latest updates. Coronavirus latest: at a glanceCoronavirus key questions: everything you need to knowDeath toll in Spain overtakes China as lockdowns extend around globeUS coronavirus updates – liveAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all our coronavirus...

Amid a worsening outbreak in Japan’s capital, Yuriko Koike urges people not to go out at the weekendCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe governor of Tokyo has asked the city’s residents to stay at home this weekend to avoid an “explosion” of Covid-19 infections following a rise in the number of local cases.Yuriko Koike described the situation as “severe”,...