Our immune cells become less able to fight off infections as we get older. Viktoriia Hnatiuk/ Shutterstock As we age, every major organ system progressively declines – including the immune system. Ageing causes our immune cells to become less able to fight off infections. This leaves older people hundreds ofContinue Reading
The results of the ACTT-1 trial, which looked at the effectiveness of remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19, have finally been published. So far the only drug that has been shown to reduce deaths from the disease has been dexamethasone, a steroid that suppresses the immune system through its anti-inflammatoryContinue Reading
Over 50 areas in England are under local lockdown. The patchwork of restriction is complex and difficult to enforce, so to simplify things, the government is introducing a much simpler three-tier system of lockdowns. England will be divided into three zones: medium risk, high risk and very high risk. EconomicContinue Reading
Muscle dysmorphia can lead to other mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression. F8 studio Body image concerns among men are increasingly common and can have a serious impact on mental health. And for an estimated one in ten young men who go the gym in the UK, theseContinue Reading
Eugene Lu/Shutterstock There are now quite a few COVID-19 vaccines in the pipeline, but two seem to be making promising progress: the one designed by the US biotechnology company Moderna, and the one developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca. In both cases, the research teams haveContinue Reading
We actually need to eat more protein as we age. Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps us build and maintain strong muscles and bones, helps us better recover from illness and injury, and reduces likelihood of falls and fractures. But, asContinue Reading
In 1968, at the height of the last great influenza pandemic, at least a million people worldwide died, including 100,000 Americans. That year A.M.M. Payne, a professor of epidemiology at Yale University, wrote: In the conquest of Mount Everest anything less than 100% success is failure, but in most communicableContinue Reading
Our circadian rhythm is an important aspect of our health. kanyanat wongsa/ Shutterstock Every living human is controlled by an internal “clock” which drives our circadian rhythm – the natural internal process that regulates our sleep-wake cycle during a 24-hour period. This internal clock controls most of our body processesContinue Reading
blvdone/Shutterstock Basic models for COVID-19 suggest herd immunity is achieved when 60% of people are immune. This is because in a population where everyone is susceptible to the coronavirus, an infected person is estimated to infect on average an additional 2.5 people. Yet if 60% of those theoretical 2.5 peopleContinue Reading
With the US president, Donald Trump, testing positive for coronavirus, speculation has begun regarding possible outcomes. The reality is, it’s impossible to say for certain what will happen to an individual once they’ve contracted COVID. Some people may have no symptoms at all, while others may have far worse outcomes.Continue Reading
