Post Archive by Month

Few people know that a quarter of patients needing ventilators to treat Covid-19 also need ­artificial kidneys to support their renal function. But are there enough to go around? We were short of ICU beds. We were short of ventilators. … Read More

A possible date for UK schools opening is June 1st. There is, however, a general uneasiness among parents, teachers and trade unions. Commentators argue the main stumbling block is not knowing if children infect teachers. In this atmosphere of controversy … Read More

Letters are still coming in from readers asking me if they should buy hydroxychloroquine, also known as chloroquine, off the internet. One even quoted ­“Professor” Trump saying it’s “very powerful”, “a gift from god” with “very encouraging early results”. Despite … Read More

Recent research on acupuncture in migraine would have really helped me back when my life was periodically put on hold by the excruciating headaches. Shabei Xu and colleagues from Huazhong University in Wuhan have applied their Chinese medical art with … Read More

Mass testing of the country is not only the route out of lockdown, I believe it’s also the route to overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic. This should be the first step followed by contact ­tracing and isolation. In Singapore and South … Read More

A reader wrote to ask me if it was safe to wear contact lenses during the Covid-19 crisis. I thought it would be useful to broaden the discussion. As surgeon Julian Stevens of ­Moorfields Eye Hospital says, coronavirus means new rules for … Read More

When I first heard the phrase “you are what you eat” I confess I didn’t quite get the significance of the ­message. Over the years more and more research has shown how your diet affects your health, and now, your … Read More

Not a lot of people know this because it’s rarely talked about, but many middle-aged women suffer very heavy ­periods, so heavy they can’t leave the house for a few days every month. Well, help is at hand. An excellent … Read More

I was intrigued to see the US surgeon General demonstrating on TV how to make a cloth mask from an old T-shirt, to protect yourself. Had he not read the research, I wondered, that says there’s no good evidence that … Read More

It’s been called the world’s most dangerous eating disorder and diabulimia could be just that, according to a BMJ analysis by health specialist Ingrid Torjesen. So what is it? Well, the name gives it away – bulimia in someone who’s … Read More