Australia hit by shortages of contraceptive pills and antidepressantsThe Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has called on the federal government to allow pharmacists to be able to substitute medicines for same drugs of a different brand to address shortages of government-subsidised drugs.The move comes amid significant shortages of the most widely prescribed antidepressant. Continue...

Whatever the answer, everyone has to try even harder not to catch it in the first placeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThose who may have been comforted in recent weeks by the evolutionary theory of virus mutation – that the more transmissible they become, the less lethal they are – may now be pondering the news that the variant that originated in Kent not only...

UK, South Africa and Brazil variants indicate changes may be neededCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn common with others, the virus that causes Covid-19 mutates as it spreads. Most mutations have little or no effect, but some can change the behaviour of the virus. Mutations in a variant found in the UK in September has helped the virus spread more easily and...

Almost half the population unclear what ‘antigen’ or ‘epidemiologist’ mean, while two in five would struggle to explain ‘circuit breaker’ Lots of people are unsure what many of the key words and phrases used by experts and politicians discussing Covid-19 actually mean, research shows.Almost half the population is unclear what “antigen” or “epidemiologist” mean, while two in...

PM warns B117 may increase death rate as well as being up to 70% more transmissibleCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe new UK coronavirus variant may be 30% more deadly, Boris Johnson said on Friday as he warned of stricter travel curbs and continued lockdown measures while the infection rate remains “forbiddingly high”.In findings that dampened hopes of the...

Findings chime with latest R number of between 0.8 and 1.0 for England and the UK as a wholeThe percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus in England has fallen slightly since the latest lockdown was introduced, but remains high, data has shown.The latest release from the Office for National Statistics, which conducts a survey based on swabs from randomly selected households, has found...

Nachman Ash had said single Pfizer/BioNTech dose was less effective than expectedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIsrael’s health ministry has moved to row back on comments by the country’s coronavirus tsar, who suggested single doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine had not given as much protection against the disease as had been hoped.The remarks by Nachman Ash,...

Experts say rise in sleep and eyesight problems may also be linked to increased use of digital devicesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe rise in children’s screen time during the pandemic has triggered calls for greater interactivity and outdoor exercise to bolster learning and guard against an epidemic of shortsightedness.Time spent online has increased...

While some parents have relaxed limits on devices, many are concerned about the physical and mental health falloutCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe worst part of the pandemic for 11-year-old Sandy is that he can’t see his friends. The best part is that limits on how much time he spends online gaming have gone out the window.During the long months of lockdowns and...

My turn for an AstraZeneca dose has come up, so I need to decide whether to drop out of Novavax testsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageI had two excellent pieces of news this week. They left me feeling utterly wretched.First, my turn came up for the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid. I was told I could have my first jab on Thursday. Continue...

Retailer upgrades profit guidance after stronger than expected sales over ChristmasCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageJohn Lewis is to repay a £300m government Covid support loan almost two months early, as the retailer upgraded its profit guidance after stronger than expected sales during the crucial festive season.The upgrade means the John Lewis Partnership, which...

Exclusive: ‘pool’ to share Covid-19 information has received no contributions since May 2020Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA World Health Organization program for pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily share Covid-19 related knowledge, treatments and technology so they can be more widely distributed has attracted zero contributions in the eight months since it...

Once Sussex home lost seven of 24 residents to the virus while it waited for vaccinationsA short two-mile drive past the creeks of Chichester Harbour is all that separates the Pinewood nursing home in Chidham from a similar facility in a neighbouring village. But their experiences of the campaign to vaccinate the most vulnerable could not have been more different. The two homes exemplify what has...