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 inclinedContinue 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 weContinue Reading
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 andContinue 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 “stratifiedContinue 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.Continue 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 veryContinue 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 aContinue 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,Continue 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 ofContinue 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 worldContinue Reading
