Modelling was presented to government before decision to allow three-household festive ‘bubbles’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCovid-19 infections could double over Christmas, scientists advising the government have said.The warning comes in the latest tranche of files from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage). The documents were presented to...
Scientists hope remains, thought to be up to 5,000 years old, will deepen knowledge of whale species and of rising sea levelsA whale skeleton thought to be up to 5,000 years old has been discovered, almost perfectly preserved, by researchers in Thailand.The skeleton, believed to be a Bryde’s whale, was found in Samut Sakhon, west of Bangkok. Researchers have excavated 80% of the remains and have...
Plan hatched by new ‘Union unit’ to counter rise in Scottish nationalismCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDowning Street tried to get doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine labelled with an image of the union jack, it has emerged, as scientists and statisticians raised more questions over the press release that proclaimed the trial’s...
Head of MHRA has ‘devoted whole life to public health’, says former colleagueCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn the summer of 2019, Dr June Raine seemed close to finally putting her feet up. At 67, she was director of the vigilance and risk management of medicines at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, a role that is roughly as important and...
You’d be forgiven for thinking we would exit lockdown into something better, but the prime minister’s harsh tier system was our destiny“Now is not the time,” gibbered the prime minister, “to take our foot off the throat of the beast.” Its throat? A lot of people feel like they’ve been living in the beast’s colon for most of the year. Still, see you guys in tier 4 in...
Pioneered by a Turkish-German couple, its significance exceeds its practical valueThe world took note when the German startup BioNTech announced its breakthrough in the development of a new type of vaccine to combat Covid-19. After testing tens of thousands of people, BioNTech’s vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective in providing protection for those who would otherwise have been infected....
Oxford/AstraZeneca planning new trial of lower-dose jab to see how well it works in older peopleCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageConcerns around the efficacy of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca coronavirus jab in older people could lead to different age groups being given different vaccines, experts have said.The partners announced last week that the vaccine had a 70%...
US reports more than 180,000 cases as holiday begins; 99% of England’s population face tough new curbs; Asta Zeneca likely to begin new trial of vaccine. Follow the developments liveScrutiny grows over Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccineUS cases, hospitalisations and deaths rise amid Thanksgiving rushSurge of Aids-related deaths feared as Covid pandemic puts gains at riskChristmas and Covid:...
Researchers hopes Galleri trial will be a ‘gamechanger’ for early diagnosis and save many livesThe NHS is to trial a simple blood test that may help identify more than 50 forms of cancer years before diagnosis, in what it hailed as a potential “gamechanger”.If successful the blood test, known as Galleri, could revolutionise early diagnosis of cancer and save many lives by identifying...