Study links age and number of symptoms to lasting health problems from coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWomen aged 50-60 are at greatest risk of developing “long Covid”, analysis suggests. Older age and experiencing five or more symptoms within the first week of illness were also associated with a heightened risk of lasting health problems.The study, led...

Tiered lockdown system not adequate for preventing high rate of virus infections daily, epidemiologist tells MPsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTens of thousands of deaths are now inevitable in a second wave of coronavirus infections sweeping across England because of the failure to contain the virus, a government scientific adviser has warned.John Edmunds, a...

Interlocking exoskeleton could provide inspiration for new methods of joining materialsIt can survive being run over by a car, pecked by predators and crushed underfoot. Now researchers have revealed the secrets behind the near-indestructibility of the diabolical ironclad beetle.Found in wooded areas of the US west coast, the beetle is about 2cm in length. Like some other species of flightless...

Effect of greater flavan-3-ol intake is bigger in people with hypertension, research findsDiets rich in tea, berries and apples could lower blood pressure, according to the first study using objective measures of thousands of UK residents’ eating habits.Foods and drinks such as tea, apples, grapes, red wine, and cocoa contain flavan-3-ols, which are naturally occurring compounds found in plants...

A targeted immunisation programme may offer some protection, but it will not deliver ‘life as normal’ • David Salisbury is a former director of immunisation at the Department of HealthFor those holding on to hope of an imminent Covid-19 vaccine, the news this weekend that the first could be rolled out as early as “just after Christmas” will have likely lifted the spirits.The UK’s...

Fever, runny nose, headache? Lost your sense of taste or smell? Your guide to differentiating between the three illnessesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWith winter approaching, the UK is entering the traditional seasons for colds and flu, with the additional complication this year that symptoms of those two illnesses can be broadly similar to those experienced by...

There is something fundamentally sickening about the US blood plasma industry. A meaningful welfare state could put a stop to such desperate measuresLooking to make extra cash? Don’t want to retrain in “cyber” but need a new gig? Good news! All you need to do is contract Covid-19, try not to die, then sell your antibody-rich blood plasma. Blood centres in the US are currently paying Covid-19...

Spacecraft ‘kissed the surface’ in brief landing on asteroid 200m miles away from Earth in US-first missionA Nasa spacecraft has successfully landed on an asteroid, dodging boulders the size of buildings, in order to collect a handful of cosmic rubble for analysis back on Earth.The space agency team behind the Osiris-Rex project said preliminary data showed the sample collection went as...