Concern among staff as King’s College postpones operations amid shortage of ICU beds Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOne of the NHS’s biggest hospitals has had to cancel urgent cancer surgery this week because so many of its intensive care beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.King’s College hospital in south London called off all “priority two” cancer...

Boris Johnson to make TV announcement on Monday night after pressure to tackle soaring infection rate Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government is expected to announce new steps to control the spread of coronavirus, as the chief medical officers recommended that the UK move to the highest coronavirus alert level.Boris Johnson is due to make a TV address on Monday...

Experts say that based on current figures, milestone likely to be passed before FebruaryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK could exceed 100,000 Covid-related deaths before the end of the month, government scientific advisers have said amid increasingly urgent calls for action.According to government figures, a total of 75,024 people had died within 28 days of...

Questions raised over potential effect on vaccines as health secretary says he is ‘incredibly worried’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageScientists are appealing for calm following suggestions that Covid vaccines might not protect people against a new variant of the virus that has emerged in South Africa.Experts say there is no need for panic, even though the health...

An 82-year-old retired maintenance manager has become the first person in the world outside clinical trials to receive the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.Brian Pinker, a dialysis patient, received the jab at 7.30am on Monday from Sam Foster, a nurse at Churchill hospital, part of the Oxford University hospitals NHS foundation trust.Oxford man, 82, first in world...

The pandemic has created a tragic ‘natural experiment’ - a once-in-a-century jolt that could produce unexpected insightsAdam Kucharski is an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThink back on some of the things you learned about Covid-19 in 2020: information such as “fatality risk” and...

My friend David Mildner, who has died aged 76, was a leading figure in atomic research, hailed as “neutron scattering’s first rock star” at the Center for Neutron Research of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland.The second of the seven children of Raymond Mildner, an electrical engineer then serving as a Flight Lieutenant in the wartime RAF, and his wife, Betty...

Dialysis patient Brian Pinker received jab at Oxford University hospital on Monday morningCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAn 82-year-old retired maintenance manager has become the first person in the world to receive the Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine outside clinical trials.Brian Pinker, a dialysis patient, received the jab at 7.30am on Monday from nurse...

Israeli firm claims device allows patients to move freely and does away with painful dressingsDoctors in Europe, India and Israel have begun using a medical gun that spins out a protective web to cover burns and wounds, hoping the breathable “skin substitute” will help patients recover without the need for painful bandage changes.Nanomedic, an Israeli company that designed the Spincare system,...