Tag Archives: Covid-19

Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock Manal Mohammed, University of Westminster Since the COVID variant omicron emerged in late 2021, it has rapidly evolved into multiple subvariants. One subvariant, BF.7, has recently been identified as the main variant spreading in Beijing, and is contributing to a wider surge of COVID infections in China. But what is this new variant, and should we be worried? …

Studio Romantic/Shutterstock Alessandro Siani, University of Portsmouth It’s been nearly two years since Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive an approved COVID vaccine at a clinic in Coventry on December 8, 2020. Since then, almost 13 billion doses of various COVID vaccines have been administered globally. And they are estimated to have prevented millions of …

StratfordProductions/Shutterstock Lewis Gough, Birmingham City University A significant proportion of people who contract COVID are left with ongoing symptoms, commonly termed “long COVID”. The nature of these symptoms and the duration of the illness differ between people. While some people are still suffering more than two years after their initial infection, others have recovered, or at least improved. As you’re …

I Wei Huang/Shutterstock Lindsay Broadbent, Queen’s University Belfast We all know a few of those lucky people who, somehow, have managed to avoid ever catching COVID. Perhaps you’re one of them. Is this a Marvel-esque superpower? Is there any scientific reason why a person might be resistant to becoming infected, when the virus seems to be everywhere? Or is it …

Unsplash/CDC Paul Griffin, The University of Queensland Regulators in Australia and the United States last week approved Omicron-specific boosters, following approval in the United Kingdom in mid-August. In Australia, a Moderna Omicron booster has been provisionally approved for use in adults aged 18 and over. Supplies are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, however the Australian Technical Advisory Group …

Rapid tests are no longer free in the UK for most people. Photoroyalty/Shutterstock Simon Nicholas Williams, Swansea University You’ve got a sore throat and feel like you might be coming down with something. A year ago, you would likely have taken a rapid test from your stash, and tested for COVID. But what about now? In many countries you are …

CandyRetriever/Shutterstock Simon Kolstoe, University of Portsmouth Your flights are booked, your bags are packed, and in your mind you’re already sunning yourself by the beach with a cocktail. With summer in full swing in the northern hemisphere, and most COVID-related restrictions behind us, travel is back on the agenda for many people. But at the same time, COVID cases in …

Wulandari Wulandari/Shutterstock Nerys M Astbury, University of Oxford and Carmen Piernas, University of Oxford Since the pandemic began, more than 6 million people have died from COVID around the world. The good news is that we now have a wide range of treatments as well as highly effective vaccines which have helped reduce the number of severe COVID cases. Still, …

nednapa/Shutterstock Rebecca Aicheler, Cardiff Metropolitan University Until recently, the UK government limited a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine to people with severely weakened immune systems over the age of 16. But, following a resurgence of COVID cases in the UK, the government has followed some other countries such as Israel, Germany and Sweden, and expanded the eligibility for a …

Mental health issues in children are linked to poorer educational outcomes. Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock Agne Suziedelyte, City, University of London; Anna Zhu, RMIT University, and Silvia Mendolia, University of Wollongong Evidence has shown that the COVID pandemic has impacted women’s mental health more significantly than men’s mental health. For example, lockdowns and the stress of home schooling have been found to …