40 articles from SUNDAY 22.11.2020

Mass Covid-19 testing to start in England to head off Tory revolt

Proposals include plans to limit self-isolation and to allow household mixing at ChristmasCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA programme of mass, instant coronavirus testing is to be rolled out to areas of England with the highest infection rates after lockdown is lifted next month, the prime minister has announced, as the government faces an unprecedented internal...

The Guardian view on coronavirus and vaccine scepticism: time to act | Editorial

Plans for mass immunisation against Covid-19 are developing fast, but concerns must be addressedIn the 1960s, academics studying rumours drew inspiration from epidemiology. They noted how such stories spread through communities, “infecting” some individuals while others seemed immune, and how more resistant populations could stop their spread.Their insights have in turn been taken up by health...

Airflow studies reveal strategies to reduce indoor transmission of COVID-19

Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart. Avoid large gatherings. As the world awaits a safe and effective vaccine, controlling the COVID-19 pandemic hinges on widespread compliance with these public health guidelines. But as colder weather forces people to spend more time indoors, blocking disease transmission will become more challenging than ever.

Eddie Yeadon obituary

My brother Eddie Yeadon, who has died aged 82, was an engineer and physicist with a particular interest in optics and astronomy.In the late 1960s he worked in the US for the optics company Perkin Elmer on the visors for the helmets used in the Apollo 11 moon landings. He also designed a reflector left on the moon to “bounce” a laser beam. He often joked that this was the part of the mission...

US vaccine expert predicts life could be back to normal around May

Operation Warp Speed chief says if immunization plan goes well enough Americans should be vaccinated by MayAs the United States recorded its 12th million Covid-19 case, the Trump administration’s vaccine program adviser predicted that life in America could be back to normal around May of 2021 as immunization is set to begin.The note of optimism came even as millions of Americans were expected to...

NHS patients at risk as ICUs routinely understaffed, doctors warn

Exclusive: Four out of five UK intensive care consultants say their unit is stretched by shortage of doctors and nursesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNHS intensive care units, which have played a vital role in the Covid-19 crisis, are so routinely understaffed patients are at risk of poor care, doctors working in them warn today.Four out of five intensive care...

France to ease Covid rules as Asian countries consider stricter measures

Macron set to announce path out of lockdown, as Japan and South Korea react to rise in casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFrance is preparing to ease its Covid-19 quarantine in the weeks leading up to Christmas with new daily caseloads falling and pressure building from retailers to allow the annual shopping season to go ahead, as parts of east Asia that were...

Do mRNA vaccines for Covid signal a new era in disease prevention? | Adam Finn

No one knew whether mRNA technology would work against this virus – but it does. It’s an extraordinary moment for scienceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe past few months have brought a number of scientific terms to public attention. We’ve had to digest R (a virus’s reproduction number) and PCR (the polymerase chain reaction method of testing). And now...

U.S.-European mission launches to monitor the world's oceans

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will extend a nearly 30-year continuous dataset on sea level collected by an ongoing collaboration of U.S. and European satellites while enhancing weather forecasts and providing detailed information on large-scale ocean currents to support ship navigation near coastlines.

Hackers 'try to steal Covid vaccine secrets in intellectual property war'

Agencies point finger at state-sponsored hackers from China, Russia, Iran and North KoreaWho is targeting vaccine developers?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageState-sponsored hackers from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are engaged in concerted attempts to steal coronavirus vaccine secrets in what security experts describe as “an intellectual property war”.They...