Mindmo/Shutterstock The coronavirus pandemic has meant sudden changes to our daily lives, with restrictions on free movement, imposed lockdowns and social distancing. Many of these measures will have taken a toll on people’s mental health. These changes have increased our exposure to known risk factors for developing depression, such asContinue Reading
Around one in three people over 65 is affected by hearing loss. Vova Shevchuk/ Shutterstock Hearing loss is a common age-related ailment, affecting nearly one in every three people over the age of 65. The World Health Organization expects that by 2050, more than 900 million people will suffer fromContinue Reading
goodbishop/Shutterstock The weeks and months after a baby is born are a critical time for the growth of the heart of premature babies. This is largely because they are faced with major blood flow changes and increased oxygen demands as they transition to the outside environment during a time whereContinue Reading
Cricket is now back on in England, despite Boris Johnson declaring cricket balls a “natural vector of disease”. His statement has frustrated cricket fans and players, but has also raised the wider question of which activities spread COVID-19. After all, unlike other activities that the UK government is actively encouraging,Continue Reading
It’s not known exactly how many NHS workers have died from COVID-19, but in England the death toll has passed 300. That so many NHS staff have tragically died as a result of caring for people with COVID-19, shows the risks healthcare workers face as part of their job. ButContinue Reading
An important milestone in the fight against COVID-19 came in early January 2020, when the entire viral genome of the novel coronavirus that causes the disease was sequenced for the first time. Since then, the full coronavirus genome, taken from thousands of infected patients around the globe, has been sequenced.Continue Reading
The language of war is often used around COVID-19. While this is often decried as unhelpful, in the field of nursing there are in fact similarities. When the second word war began, the UK had a massive shortage of nurses, which led to a surge in recruitment of an extraContinue Reading
Bacterial changes could lead to serious diseases. vchal/ Shutterstock E-cigarettes are a popular alternative to smoking, but we still know very little about the effects of them on our health. While numerous studies have explored the effect of e-cigarettes on our lungs, heart, and overall health, one important and oftenContinue Reading
Iakov Kalinin/Shutterstock It has been suggested that taking vitamin D may protect people from getting COVID-19. But should we be using supplements to ward off the virus? We need to separate fact from fiction. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining overall health, especially for bones, teeth and muscle. It regulatesContinue Reading
The coronavirus pandemic has triggered what has been described as a “sanitary pad crisis” in India. Priya, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, considers herself lucky: her parents can still afford pads. But several of her friends will have to go without. In some parts of India, schools are a critical part ofContinue Reading
