Exclusive: local leaders say they are not getting test results needed to prevent fresh outbreaksCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCrucial data that could help prevent fresh local waves of coronavirus is being withheld from some of the places most in danger of further lockdowns, the Guardian has been told.Council leaders said on Wednesday they were either not getting...

University is leading rivals but first drugs may not work fully, says vaccine taskforce chairCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOxford University is leading the world in developing a vaccine against Covid-19 and offers the best chance of having something protective against the virus as we go into winter, MPs have been told.Kate Bingham, chair of the UK vaccine taskforce,...

Researchers say apocalyptic movies prepare people for Covid-19 and make them more resilientCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFor those of you who whiled away hours on the sofa watching society crumble in the face of marauding zombies, deadly aliens and infectious diseases – it’s time to reap the rewards.Psychologists have found evidence that fans of apocalyptic...

The UK government needs to be more rigorous and transparent with information if regional outbreaks of Covid-19 are to be containedIn the game of whack-a-mole, the target pops up in one location and, once hammered down, appears immediately somewhere else. The defining features of the exercise are randomness and futility, which makes it an unfortunate metaphor for Boris Johnson to use for his...

Temperatures will be too hot for the seeds of one in five plants by the year 2070, Australian researcher saysGlobal heating will make it much harder for tropical plants around the world to germinate with temperatures becoming too hot for the seeds of one in five plants by the year 2070, according to a new study.Global heating will impact the ability of more than half of all tropical plants to...

Former health officials say the government is unfairly laying fault at the door of PHEExperts have accused ministers of shifting the blame for their own mistakes during the coronavirus crisis on to Public Health England, amid speculation that the agency may be scrapped.Downing Street on Wednesday failed to guarantee that PHE will survive in its present form as an executive agency of the Department...

Attempts to suppress localised flare-ups hampered by failure to share detailed informationCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAttempts to contain regional outbreaks of coronavirus are being hampered by a failure to share comprehensive test results with local health authorities. Beyond Leicester, where lockdown restrictions are being reimposed, there are fears of further...

Cambridge team say 2013 study was flawed and rarity of tumours in rodents still unexplainedWith a hairless, wrinkly body, a whopping pair of front teeth and tiny eyes, the naked mole rat might seem an unusual creature to fight over, but a row has erupted among scientists over what might be its most unusual feature: a striking resistance to cancer.The burrowing rodents, native to east Africa and...

Government advisers call for urgent investigation of link between dirty air and pandemicCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAir pollution is likely to be increasing the number and severity of Covid-19 infections, according to the UK government’s expert advisers.In a report published on Wednesday, the experts said further investigation of the link between dirty air and...

BMA plea comes as ministers face claims of being slow to act on local lockdown in Leicester Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageLeading doctors are urging the UK government to give councils accurate up-to-date data to manage localised Covid-19 surges, as No 10 continues to come under fire over claims it is failing to handle Leicester’s lockdown.The British Medical...

The government hopes it will no longer be necessary to shield – but tell that to those people in England who are at highest riskOn Monday, a major change to lockdown will begin: people with underlying health conditions in England who have been shielding since March will be able to meet up outside in groups of up to six people, while those who live alone will be allowed to form a “support...

Your questions answered on what type of mask to wear to cut the risk of getting Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageYes. Different types of mask offer different levels of protection. Surgical grade N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection against Covid-19 infection, followed by surgical grade masks. However, these masks are costly, in limited supply,...

US bought more than 500,000 doses, representing all of Gilead’s production for July and 90% of August and SeptemberThe US pharmaceutical giant Gilead has donated a supply of the antiviral medication remdesivir to Australia’s national medical stockpile, with the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, saying there will be enough of the drug to meet Covid-19 patient demand.It followed news overnight...

The space agency gathered 425 million high-resolution images of the sun, which have now been stitched together to form the videoNasa has released a mesmerising timelapse video of the sun that condenses an entire solar cycle into an hour of footage, using images of the star taken every hour continuously over a decade.Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has gathered 425 million high-resolution...

New cases jump by 80% in two weeks; South Korea using remdesivir; outbreak in Australia’s state of Victoria worsensCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe United States again reported a record one-day increase in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 44,358 new coronavirus cases confirmed in the country, according to coronavirus database the Covid Tracking Project, as...

Hot weather is making mask wearing increasingly uncomfortable, prompting some people to refuse face coverings in defiance of government adviceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe onset of summer has sparked a rise in incidents of “mask rage” in South Korea, as more hot and bothered commuters either refuse to wear face coverings or leave parts of their faces...