The government is texting and emailing people across England to inform them of the new contact tracing app, available to download from the App Store and Google Play. Emails The email will come from ‘NHS Test and Trace COVID-19 App’. The email reads: This is a public health message from […]

An international team of scientists, including from Cardiff University, has identified genetic evidence that suggests both smoking and obesity can increase the risk of severe Covid-19. The researchers also found the same was true for the risk of developing sepsis, a dangerous inflammatory response faced by many patients with other […]

Comfortable shoes with a curved tip make it easier to move, but weaken foot muscles. lzf/ Shutterstock Peter Francis, Leeds Beckett University Evolution dictates that the human body adapts to cope with stresses present in the environment. The removal of stress from our environment means we cease to use that […]

Andrew Lee, University of Sheffield A series of new measures has been announced to stem rising cases of coronavirus in the UK. People are again being encouraged to work from home if they can, while pubs and bars will be required to close at 10pm. Masks will be required for […]

alinabuphoto/Shutterstock Christian van Nieuwerburgh, University of East London The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world has prompted job losses and business closures, and an increase in stress and anxiety as lockdowns separate people from their friends and families. It’s become clear that we are struggling to maintain our mental health as […]

About time, too, you may say. Care providers in England will benefit from over half a billion pounds extra funding to reduce COVID-19 transmission and help protect residents and staff throughout winter. The Infection Control Fund, set up in May, has now been extended until March 2021, with an extra […]

As a myopic I find this fascinating, but am not taking it too seriously …   paulaphoto/Shutterstock Simon Kolstoe, University of Portsmouth Researchers in China have found that people who wear glasses appear to be at lower risk of catching COVID-19. The authors of the study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, […]

Fay Bound Alberti, University of York Some UK care homes are to deploy robots in an attempt to allay loneliness and boost mental health. The wheeled machines will “initiate rudimentary conversations, play residents’ favourite music, teach them languages, and offer practical help, including medicine reminders”. They are being introduced after […]

Even drinking fewer than 14 units of alcohol a week was damaging. ELEVATE/ Pexels, CC BY Tony Rao, King’s College London It’s a well-known fact that drinking too much alcohol can have a serious impact on your health, including damaging your liver. But how much is too much? For conditions […]

People who are admitted to hospital with COVID-19 can be divided into four distinct groups, according to data from the world’s largest study of patients with the disease. Researchers identified the groups using clinical information and tests carried out upon arrival at hospital to predict the patients’ risk of death […]