Health (Page 164)

iiiNooMiii/Shutterstock COVID vaccines are very effective, but for some groups they don’t generate as strong an immune response. These groups include older adults and people with weakened immune systems, for example due to cancer or other medical conditions. They tend to already be at heightened risk from COVID. Likewise, obesityContinue Reading

Immersion in cold water is definitely an activity that divides people – some love it others hate it. But many now practice it weekly or even daily in the belief that it’s good for their mental and physical health. Cold water therapy, as it has come to be known, canContinue Reading

CROCOTHERY/Shutterstock A new COVID variant XBB.1.16, or “Arcturus”, has now been identified in at least 34 countries including the UK. Arcturus is a subvariant of omicron and was first detected in India in January 2023. As of April 17, the latest date up to which the UK Health Security AgencyContinue Reading

Mita Stock Images/Shutterstock When so much time and effort goes into developing the best medical treatments, we expect them to be available when we need them. The same goes for addiction treatments, so it’s worrying that two of the most effective drugs for quitting smoking aren’t available in the UK.Continue Reading

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock World Health Organisation (WHO) experts have officially declared that COVID no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (Pheic). This coincides with the WHO’s new strategy to transition from an emergency response to longer-term sustained COVID disease management. This may not change too much practically. COVID willContinue Reading

Commuting more than five hours per week had a number of negative consequences. Tania Volosianko/ Shutterstock In the past year, a growing number of companies have asked employees to return to the office either full- or part-time after years of pandemic-induced remote working. While this is a good thing whenContinue Reading

It's worth speaking to your doctor early in your pregnancy if you think a caesarean is right for you. Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock If you’re pregnant or planning to have a baby soon, you’ve probably been given lots of advice and information about what you might experience during and after the birth.Continue Reading

The scheme would offer smokers vape starter kits to help them quit. ducu59us/Shutterstock The UK government set out ambitious plans in 2019 to make England smoke free by 2030. To achieve this, they recently announced plans to offer free vape starter kits to one million smokers in a bid toContinue Reading

Empathy can save lives. Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock A lack of empathy in healthcare can be disastrous. In the UK, between 2005 and 2009, hundreds of avoidable deaths occurred at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. The Francis report, which investigated the causes of the failings, concluded that a lack ofContinue Reading