Health (Page 115)

Robin J Gentry/Shutterstock With Britain now in its second lockdown, and the government predicting that the second wave could be worse than the first, it’s critical to examine why there are large racial disparities in the effects of COVID-19 and what could be done to reduce these. In England and Wales, black men are around 2.7 times more likely than white men to die from the disease. For Bangladeshi men the figure is around 2.5 times as likely and Pakistani men nearly twice as likely. There’s a significant increased risk for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women too. In the weeks leading up to the second lockdown, this issue became the subject of fierce debate between the UK governmentContinue Reading

Miriam Doerr Martin Frommherz/Shutterstock In recent weeks, there have been controversial proposals to ask older, more vulnerable adults to isolate from society, while younger adults build herd immunity to COVID-19. These strategies have been criticised by leading figures as “practically impossible” and “unethical”. Yet calls for shielding from COVID “stratified by risk” persist. A new high-quality algorithm to predict people’s risk of catching and dying from COVID-19, published in the BMJ, may add credence to these proposals. This algorithm could be useful for enhancing shielding support measures for high-risk individuals through furlough schemes or GP advice. But the predictions won’t be as accurate if lower-risk adults, assuming they are safe, are less cautious and increase their risk of catching COVID.Continue Reading

F8 Studio/Shutterstock There was – rightfully – a lot of excitement when Pfizer and BioNTech announced interim results from their COVID vaccine trial. The vaccine, called BNT162b2, was reported to have an “efficacy rate above 90%”. This was soon translated in the press to be 90% “effective” at preventing COVID-19. Efficacy, effectiveness – what’s the difference? We academics are very precise in our language and it can be a cause of considerable frustration when the media doesn’t appreciate the important distinction between certain terms. I was recently asked not to use the term “efficacy” for my radio interview because “listeners won’t understand what it means”. Sometimes accuracy can get in the way of clarity, so it’s important to know whenContinue Reading

The excitement that greeted the news of a vaccine candidate that may be highly effective against COVID-19 was indeed something to behold. If the final results show anything like the numbers quoted in the press release, then the world can indeed be pleased and the scientists behind the scenes very proud of themselves. One complicating factor will be the maintenance of the cold chain. Vaccines are fragile products: they need to be stored at specific temperatures, and some are sensitive to light and need to be transported in dark glass vials. These precise conditions must be maintained throughout the vaccine journey, right until the point when you’re in the GP surgery with your sleeve rolled up and the nurse opensContinue Reading

Our stomach and brain are connected through the 'gut-brain axis'. Anatomy Image/ Shutterstock Within our body and on our skin, trillions of bacteria and viruses exist as part of complex ecosystems called microbiomes. Microbiomes play an important role in human health and disease – and even help us maintain a healthy metabolism and immune system. One of the most important microbiomes in our body is our gut microbiome. It helps us maintain overall wellbeing by helping us to absorb all the vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. But when our gut microbiome’s balance becomes disrupted (from things like stress, illness, or poor diet), it can not only result in digestion and gut problems, but has even been linkedContinue Reading

Mykola Samoilenko/Shutterstock Some diseases are more likely to enter public conversation than others. COVID-19 has dominated the public discourse in 2020, while cancer and AIDS are high-profile diseases that attract significant scientific and media attention. You can safely discuss these diseases around the dinner table. Other diseases, such as scabies, not so much. Scabies is classed as a neglected tropical disease. It’s out of sight and out of mind. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there – there will be an infestation somewhere near you – take my word for it. Scabies is caused by microscopic mites (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrow under human skin and lay their eggs. The skin doesn’t take kindly to this infestation, which leads to anContinue Reading

The Danish government has ordered the cull of the nation’s entire farmed mink herd to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 after the scientists found a mutated strain of the virus in some of the animals. So, what’s the science behind the cull, and what does it mean for all of us? SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is just one of a very large family of viruses called the Coronaviridae. It is well known that coronaviruses are able to infect many different species (their hosts). Members of the Coronaviridae are found in carnivores, rodents, ungulates (mammals with hooves) and even birds. As SARS-CoV-2, now the most famous member of the family, has transmitted readily in human populations, finding the virusContinue Reading

Many dietary guidelines fail to define what "variety" means. Ekaterina Kondratova/ Shutterstock It’s well known that a healthy diet can help reduce disease risks that are related to overweight or obesity – such as some cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. As part of a healthy diet, experts around the world advise people to consume a variety of foods. In the UK for example, the NHS’s Eatwell Guide divides foods into food groups (starchy carbohydrates, fruit and veg, dairy or dairy alternatives, proteins, and fats). To get a “balanced diet”, the guide advises people to aim to eat a certain amount of food from each food group. One reason food variety is included in recommendations is because different foods have differentContinue Reading

Imran Khan Photography/Shutterstock As the Danish physicist Niels Bohr once warned, it is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. This warning is particularly true when it comes to the epidemiology of COVID-19. In the past week, we have learned that cases in the UK have exceeded even the worst-case scenario predicted a few months ago by Sage, the government’s expert advisory group. Read more: Coronavirus: a former member of SAGE explains how the science advisory group really works The UK and many other countries in Europe are in lockdown again, but what should be done next? While most countries are planning lockdowns of up to a month, we know from the first wave that this may not beContinue Reading

Chanintorn.v/Shutterstock Mental health is a growing concern, with up to one in two people now thought to experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. Many working-age adults experience problems like depression, anxiety, phobias or PTSD, which are worsened by unemployment. Yet there are striking discrepancies between UK welfare policy and the actual experience of benefit claimants with mental health problems. Health and social security policy documents increasingly pledge to improve mental health and the government is trying to get more people with mental health issues into work. But in practice, mental health problems are often unrecognised, invalidated or actively harmed by work capability assessments that block access to benefits and employment services. Our study compared 15 recent policy documentsContinue Reading