Health (Page 114)

If there’s one thing we’ve got used to in the pandemic, it’s seeing our political leaders on TV standing next to scientists. So striking is the impact of scientists on policy that it has become hard to see such figures as anything other than leaders working alongside, rather than simply for, politicians. The Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell is a noteworthy example. His popularity in Sweden has reached levels normally beyond even the most popular political leaders. T-shirts bearing slogans such as “All power to Tegnell, our liberator” have become trendy, and more than one fan has had Tegnell’s face tattooed on their body. Tegnell is given more airtime and was attributed greater leadership qualities than the Swedish prime minister,Continue Reading

Some people need to bundle up all year round. Dean Drobot/ Shutterstock Almost all of us will complain of being cold at some point, especially as lower temperatures arrive. But some people feel cold no matter the weather – and there are a number of reasons why this might be case. The average normal body temperature is 36.6℃, but variations are common with differences of up to 0.5℃. A person’s resting temperature changes throughout a 24-hour period, peaking around 6pm and dropping to its lowest around 4am. Average body temperature has also decreased by up to 0.03℃ per birth decade since it was first established in the 19th century. Different parts of our body have different temperatures, with the rectumContinue Reading

TextureWorld/Shutterstock You have probably become used to wearing a face mask in public. And you probably wear a fabric one, as we’ve been urged to save N95, FFP3 and other “clinical grade” masks for healthcare workers. This is despite science not knowing how well fabric masks work. To overcome this, a team that I am part of at the University of Cambridge decided to test various fabrics to see how well they would protect the wearer and the public when used in face masks. One element of fabric mask efficacy can be discovered by looking at how well various materials block virus-sized particles (from 0.2 to 1.0 micrometres). While some research had already investigated the ability of fabric to actContinue Reading

Our brain may depend on physical activity to stay healthy. Slawomir Kruz/ Shutterstock Regular exercise changes the structure of our bodies’ tissues in obvious ways, such as reducing the size of fat stores and increasing muscle mass. Less visible, but perhaps even more important, is the profound influence exercise has on the structure of our brains – an influence that can protect and preserve brain health and function throughout life. In fact, some experts believe that the human brain may depend on regular physical activity to function optimally throughout our lifetime. Here are just a few ways exercise changes the structure of our brain. Memory Many studies suggest that exercise can help protect our memory as we age. This isContinue Reading

If all goes to plan, athletes will compete in hot conditions at the rescheduled 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Indeed, summers in Japan can be quite intense – with hot and humid weather and temperatures reaching up to 35°C. But our recent research indicates that taking the oral contraceptive pill may help women in sport to better cope with this kind of heat. There is limited research about the consequences of extreme heat on the health and wellbeing of female athletes. But we know that women are at a higher risk of succumbing to heat-related illness and can reach hyperthermic levels – with an abnormally high body temperature – in a shorter period of time. The majority of research on howContinue Reading

Studio Peace/Shutterstock It is very exciting to hear another positive story about vaccine trial results – a good vaccine is the most likely way of ending the pandemic. Last week, interim results from Pfizer suggested its vaccine reduces cases of COVID-19 with 90% efficacy. Now Moderna has gone one better, with interim results showing nearly 95% efficacy for its vaccine – with hints that it may protect against severe disease. Neither have reported any serious safety concerns and have tested their vaccines in tens of thousands of participants. With so many COVID-19 vaccines in development, more results are likely to follow in the coming months. Their headline figures may, like these, be very impressive, but it’s necessary to dig deeperContinue Reading

Fuelling before longer or more demanding workouts with carbs will provide the energy needed to keep moving. FCG/ Shutterstock There’s plenty of evidence showing how important nutrition is for exercise, from aiding performance to enhancing recovery. But it’s often confusing to know whether it’s best to eat before or after you exercise. To answer this, you should first consider what you’re training for, as your goal could influence whether to eat before or not. Second, you need to consider the level that you’re at. An elite athlete’s needs are different from a beginner and probably influences how much energy from food is needed – and even the number of meals eaten. Third, you need to think about what works forContinue Reading

creativemarc/Shutterstock Following the news that Pfizer’s vaccine for COVID-19 is showing signs of 90% efficacy, there’s been a lot of excitement about the end of the pandemic being in sight. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, has even suggested that life could return to normal by spring. Pfizer’s update certainly is fantastic news. A COVID-19 vaccine could well be approved and ready for use in the next few months. But whether that means we can all get back to normal life by early 2021 is less certain. If we have a highly effective vaccine that stops people from passing on the virus, and can distribute it worldwide, that would have a massive impact onContinue Reading

Exercise improves physical health, immunity, and can reduce fatigue. Maridav/ Shutterstock As winter descends on the northern hemisphere and the temperature drops and daylight hours shorten, many people may want to spend more time indoors. And those of us under lockdown for the second time may feel even less inclined to get outside and exercise. But staying indoors may have unintended health consequences, due to both a lack of physical activity and exposure to daylight. Being physically active all year long has many benefits to both physical and mental health. Exercise may even counter some of the negative effects winter weather can have on our energy levels and mood. Research shows people exercise for an average of eight minutes lessContinue Reading

Pfizer and BioNTech have just released interim results of their COVID-19 vaccine trial. Although it is not the only vaccine in the late stages of testing, the large size and careful design of the trial, not to mention the promising results, have caused understandable enthusiasm around the world. As we get nearer the long-awaited start of a COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, it is worth looking at how statisticians help medics establish the safety of vaccines. How effective is the vaccine? It is not easy to find out how effective a vaccine is. First, researchers need to know whether just an act of injecting somebody can help. The trials involve a large number of people, with half of them given a vaccineContinue Reading