Ministers to seize control of the NHS in sweeping reforms February 6, 2021 Ministers will take direct control of the NHS amid ongoing frustration at its performance during the pandemic, marking the biggest reform for the health service for a decade. The plans are understood to have begun before the 2019 election, but have been accelerated amid mounting frustration from Number 10 over the state of the health [...]
Astrazeneca vaccine works against Kent Covid variant February 5, 2021 The Astrazeneca vaccine currently being deployed in the UK’s largest ever immunisation programme works against the coronavirus variant first identified in Kent, researchers have found. Scientists from Oxford University, working in collaboration with the British-Swedish firm, said the jab has a similar efficacy against the new Covid variant compared to the original coronavirus strain it was [...]
Covid-19 variants: could mutations prolong the pandemic? February 5, 2021 The end is in sight. Isn’t it? The cautious optimism of vaccination programmes made the final curtain of the Covid-19 pandemic visible for the first time. Concern is growing, however, after Public Health England announced it is investigating cases with “worrying” new genetic changes found in regions of the UK. Cases in Liverpool and Bristol [...]
Cancer drug may reduce Covid load in lungs by 99 per cent January 27, 2021 Spanish pharmaceutical company PharmaMar claims its cancer drug Aplidin has the potential to reduce any Covid-19 load in lungs by 99 per cent. Already authorised to treat tumours in some markets, Aplidin blocks a protein associated with the virus and prevents viral replication, leading to the near-complete eradication of Covid viral loads in the lungs [...]
Stay on the fitness train with our weekly workout January 25, 2021 Fitness studio Core Collective’s head trainer Joe Corrie has programmed this super sweaty, explosive HIIT workout, which is guaranteed to kickstart your metabolism and set you up for the week. It’s fast and challenging, but it’ll be over before you know it. Invest 25 minutes of your day – you won’t regret it. Before starting [...]
Octopus Ventures to launch £100m fund to capitalise on the ‘digital healthcare revolution’ January 25, 2021 One of Europe’s largest VC firms is planning to launch a new £100m global fund in a bid to take advantage of the advancing healthtech market. Octopus Ventures will look to transform public healthcare systems across the continent and emerging markets by ramping up its investment activity. The announcement signals the investor’s intention to build [...]
How meditation can help you through the pandemic January 22, 2021 Meditation is one of the most important and easiest things we can do to help improve our happiness in the current state of affairs. I have just returned from an extended trip to Brazil, and within a couple of days I could really notice the impact Covid is having on people here. People are stressed [...]
British Army to establish 80 new vaccine centres in Scotland January 18, 2021 British Army soldiers will help to launch 80 new Covid-19 vaccine centres throughout Scotland over the next four weeks. The deployment follows a ‘patchy’ vaccine roll-out in Scotland, according to the British Medical Association. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said it had deployed 98 soldiers to identify suitable sites and support vaccine deliveries. Matt Hancock [...]
Covid mutations: what we know so far January 15, 2021 A Brazilian variant of coronavirus has arrived in Britain, one of the UK’s leading scientists announced this morning. Speaking during a Science and Media Centre briefing, Professor Wendy Barclay said: “There are two different types of Brazilian variant and one of them has been detected in the UK.” Transport secretary Grant Shapps this morning insisted [...]
Stress and exercise: How stop OD-ing on cortisol January 13, 2021 When stress affects the brain, the body feels the pain. Stress is the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. It can make you feel angry, nervous and frustrated, impacting everything from sleep to appetite and mood. A little bit of stress is okay, it helps us get the job done when we’ve got [...]