vladaphotowiz/Shutterstock The approximately 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK have been badly affected by COVID-19. Many live in care homes, which have arguably been hit hardest by the pandemic, experiencing a heavy death toll during the first wave. The pandemic has also caused significant global disruption, affecting people’sContinue Reading
Jim Barber/Shutterstock When the efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was announced in late 2020, there was some confusion. The overall efficacy of the vaccine at stopping people developing symptomatic COVID-19, two weeks after the second dose, was 70%. But this wasn’t the whole picture. This figure was based on averagingContinue Reading
Many of the obesity policies were similar or exactly the same. winnond/ Shutterstock In England, 63% of men and women live with obesity or are overweight. Although the government has recognised obesity to be a significant health challenge that needs to be addressed, none of the obesity strategies they’ve publishedContinue Reading
Research shows that pets may support mental health for some people. SeventyFour More than 50% of households in the UK are estimated to own at least one pet. And, since the outbreak of COVID-19, there’s been an unprecedented increase in animal adoptions and purchases, as people seek animal companionship toContinue Reading
Fotomay/Shutterstock Every time the coronavirus replicates, it has a chance to mutate. And given that it is currently rampaging around the world, it has plenty of opportunities to do just that. Many mutations will make little or no difference to the virus’s ability to spread or cause more severe disease.Continue Reading
Many peoples' mental health worsened during the pandemic – but many didn't seek support or treatment. Dragana Gordic/ Shutterstock During the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK, people were encouraged to help control the virus with the message to “stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives”. While there wasContinue Reading
Zamuruew/Shutterstock In the year since the city of Wuhan, China, went into the world’s first coronavirus lockdown, we have all had to live under some form of pandemic-related restriction. Some countries have opted for strict national lockdowns, like the one currently in place in the UK, while other countries suchContinue Reading
“The scientists have done it,” said the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson in December 2020, hailing the development of the new COVID-19 vaccine. Johnson insisted that this success brought “sure and certain knowledge” that people would soon be able to reclaim their lives. But since this optimistic declaration, the COVIDContinue Reading
Vegan diets are becoming increasingly popular. RONEDYA/ Shutterstock While there are many reasons why a person may choose to go vegan, health is often cited as a popular motive. But although vegan diets are often touted as being “healthier” in the media, this isn’t always reflected by scientific research. WhileContinue Reading
When supplies of oxygen at hospitals in Manaus, Brazil, recently ran out, the airforce was called in for emergency evacuations while healthcare workers frantically tried to save lives with manual ventilation. For those that could not be saved, there was only morphine and a final hand-squeeze. As calamitous as theContinue Reading
