At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, when we knew precious little about the virus, the standard message was most people recover from mild infections in two weeks and serious ones in three. This is clearly not true. NHS England … Read More
It’s tougher for extroverts to stay inside in lockdown
Whether you comply with Covid-19 pandemic rules, such as staying at home during lockdown, depends more on your personality than anything else. Surprised? I was. A survey of 101,000 people in 55 countries carried out by a team of psychology researchers … Read More
Faecal transplants could rejuvenate aging brains by boosting ‘gut-brain’ axis
We know there’s an intimate connection between the bowel and the brain. Or rather between our gut bacteria, the microbiome, and the brain. We already accept for instance, that the microbiome, via its brain-gut axis, affects our appetite, our mood, … Read More
How did the Oxford team make their Covid-19 vaccine so quickly?
Nothing and no one will dispel my conviction that the brilliance of our scientists will solve the Covid-19 problems besetting the world. I’m an optimist. The story of the new Oxford vaccine attests to the determination of our scientists and gives us … Read More
Speaking about her miscarriage, Meghan is helping other women
Though Meghan suffered her miscarriage way back in July my heart still goes out to her, and to any woman who has a miscarriage. I suspect Meghan is still feeling the grief of her lost baby. Most women never get … Read More
Pairing up health of mum and baby makes sense to me
When you think about it, the obvious way to manage a mother and child’s health is to join them together and consider them as a pair. Except it’s never been done. Maternal health has always been considered separate from infant … Read More
We feel fear and stress about getting back to work after lockdown
Over the years, much has been written about a person’s need to work. Work has great mental health rewards as well as financial gain. It gives us a personal sense of usefulness, service, achievement and the nourishment of social contact, … Read More
Why footballers are heading down the road to dementia
So the vexed question of dementia in football players has reared its ugly head again. This time with the news that Sir Bobby Charlton has become the fifth member of the England World Cup winning squad to develop the neuro-degenerative … Read More
Read the oxygen warning signs until vaccine arrives
At the end of any discussion about controlling the pandemic, we fall back on, “but there’s always the vaccine”, as though we sail into a new world of calm waters, few restrictions and open borders, with coronavirus a distant memory. … Read More
Mass antibody tests will give us invaluable Covid information
After having a Covid antibody test in July following my Covid illness at the beginning of February, I was surprised to find I had antibodies six months after my infection. No one knows how long Covid antibodies last, so in … Read More