At least 10% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, have symptoms that last more than four weeks after the infection. With more than 770 million infections to date, this translates to tens of millions of people living with the long-term consequences of COVID, known as “longContinue Reading
Michael Moloney/Shutterstock About 6% of people in the UK are wrongly labelled on their medical records as being allergic to penicillin, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has warned. This figure is concerning because being labelled as allergic to this class of highly effective antibiotics is associated with an extra six deathsContinue Reading
Billions of people around the world have received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The rapid development of these vaccines changed the course of the pandemic, providing protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But these vaccines would not have been possible it if weren’t for the pioneering work of this year’sContinue Reading
Alex Andrei/Shutterstock Every year, around 2.4 million people in the UK get food poisoning – mostly from viral or bacterial contamination. Most people recover within a few days without treatment, but not all are that lucky. As a microbiologist, I’m probably more acutely aware of the risk of food-borne infectionsContinue Reading
The benefits of 'rucking' can be boosted further by heading outdoors. dodotone/ Shutterstock Walking is a great exercise for keeping your physical and mental health in check. But if you’re looking to give your daily walks a boost, you might want to give “rucking” a try. Rucking is a militaryContinue Reading
If proper sterilisation procedures are in place, your chances of contracting hepatitis C from a tattoo are extremely low. Hryshchyshen Serhii/ Shutterstock A growing number of people living in the UK are going abroad to have tattoos, piercings and cosmetic surgeries. Any procedure, no matter where it’s performed, can carryContinue Reading
Nose breathing during intense exercise takes practice. Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock Breathing is subconscious. We don’t have to think about it – it just happens. But when we exercise, many of us become more aware of it than we normally are – sometimes thinking about every breath we take. DuringContinue Reading
Mama Belle and the kids/Shutterstock Glitches in our evolutionary development mean that 80% of four-year-olds get glue ear, a temporary loss of hearing. Many have costly and unnecessary surgery despite there being excellent non-surgical alternatives. Glue ear or secretory otitis media, to give it its medical name, is caused byContinue Reading
Weight lifting helps keep the bones strong. Liderina/ Shutterstock Just as our muscles lose strength as we get older, so do our bones. This can have a serious effect on our lifestyle, and boosts risk of fractures – which are linked with an increased risk of death. Fortunately, just asContinue Reading
Most miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks, known as early pregnancy. pexels/alex green Miscarriage is a common woman’s health experience, but one that affects people differently. Ten years of studying miscarriage has taught me that no two women will have the same experience, and that the same woman isContinue Reading
