The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, recently announced plans to fine people aged 60 and over who refuse the COVID vaccine. A monthly fine of €100 (£85) will be imposed from January 16...
Health
Will Omicron – The New Coronavirus Variant Of Concern – Be More...
A new variant named omicron (B.1.1.529) was reported by researchers in South Africa on Nov. 24, 2021, and designated a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization two days later. Omicron is...
Why Researchers Are Turning To Music As A Possible Treatment For...
You probably don’t realise it when you’re listening to your favourite song, but music has an incredibly powerful effect on the human brain. Singing, playing an instrument or listening to music have...
The Chickenpox Virus Has A Fascinating Evolutionary History That...
In July 2021, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presentation obtained by the press noted that the delta variant of COVID-19 “is as transmissible as chickenpox.” As some researchers have...
Promising COVID Treatments Could Be Growing Under The Sea –...
More than 18 months into the pandemic, we’re still hunting for effective antiviral treatments for COVID – medicines that target the coronavirus itself and stop it from developing in the body. So far...
White-Tailed Deer Found To Be Huge Reservoir Of Coronavirus...
New research from the US has shown that white-tailed deer are being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans. Antibodies were found in 40% of deer that were tested from...
How Your Genes Influence Whether A Certain Type Of Exercise...
Genetics have a significant influence on many aspects of our life – from our height and eye colour, our weight, and even whether we develop certain health conditions. And now, our recent review has...
How Many Lives Have Coronavirus Vaccines Saved? We Used State...
More than 200 million U.S. residents have gotten at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine with the expectation that the vaccines slow virus transmission and save lives. Researchers know the efficacy...
Ivermectin Is A Nobel Prize-Winning Wonder Drug – But Not For...
Ivermectin is an over 30-year-old wonder drug that treats life- and sight-threatening parasitic infections. Its lasting influence on global health has been so profound that two of the key researchers...
COVID Vaccines For Teenagers: What UK Parents Need To Know Amid...
The UK has approved giving one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to all children aged 12-15, with vaccines largely being given within the education system. Schools are helping coordinate...
New Gene Therapies May Soon Treat Dozens Of Rare Diseases, But...
Zolgensma – which treats spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disease that damages nerve cells, leading to muscle decay – is currently the most expensive drug in the world. A one-time treatment of...
Facebook Has Known For A Year And A Half That Instagram Is Bad...
Facebook officials had internal research in March 2020 showing that Instagram – the social media platform most used by adolescents – is harmful to teen girls’ body image and well-being but swept...
How Often Should We Exercise To Get In Shape?
Elite athletes – like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who won gold for the men’s 1500m race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – train almost ten to 14 times per week, clocking up numerous hours on the track...
COVID Variants: We Spoke To The Experts Designing A Single...
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has turned the world upside down. Experts have predicted that it will claim the lives of between 9-18 million worldwide. This is in addition to...
New Technology Can Create Treatment Against Drug-Resistant...
The big idea A new technique my colleagues and I developed that can kill deadly, multidrug-resistant bacteria in real-time could be used to generate targeted therapies that replace traditional...
How Snake Oil Got A Bad Name
During the pandemic, the pejorative term “snake-oil salesman” has been bandied about a lot. It’s been used, perhaps with a tinge of 1980s nostalgia, to describe convicted fraudster and serial...
It’s Still Not Fully Understood How Placebos Work – But An...
If you’ve had both of your COVID vaccinations, you may have suffered some side effects – perhaps headaches, fatigue, fever or a sore arm. These effects are mainly caused by your immune system’s...
Individual Dietary Choices Can Add – Or Take Away – Minutes...
Vegetarian and vegan options have become standard fare in the American diet, from upscale restaurants to fast-food chains. And many people know that the food choices they make affect their own...
Germ Theory Denialism Is Alive And Well – And Taking The Nuance...
Back in February 2019, when the pandemic was still far from most people thoughts, the Fox News programme Fox & Friends aired a segment in which contributor Pete Hegseth revealed he had not washed...
COVID Vaccine Trials Were A Triumph – Now We Need A Similar...
The triumph of COVID-19 vaccine development and the discovery of effective treatments was only possible because of the unprecedented coordination of clinical trials. A process of testing – that often...