We are seeing the emergence of a new medical condition that is called “post-acute Covid-19” or “long Covid”. As yet, we have precious little information on it, but it’s there. The classic picture of the syndrome is delayed recovery from … Read More
Any coronavirus policy without an effective test and trace system will end in lockdown
Yes, Boris and his sidekick Matt Hancock have made glaring and costly mistakes during the Covid pandemic. Their mantra, “We follow the science”, is hollow and at times dishonest. Follow the science they haven’t. The most glaring example of not following the science came … Read More
Hard to breathe easy when you know it spreads coronavirus
The two-metre social distancing rule is all well and good except, as many experiments have shown, a cough or a sneeze travels much further, in some cases as far as 15 metres. And how about simple breathing? A breath, even … Read More
If you eat well, you’re much more likely to feel happy and well too
Most of us believe we are what we eat. But have you ever thought you could ‘feel’ what you eat? As Fiona Godlee, editor of the BMJ, says, mood can improve as the result of eating foods that reduce inflammation … Read More
‘If you’re lonely you will find it difficult to stop smoking’
What with isolation, shielding and quarantine there’s been a frightening increase in the number of people feeling lonely, brought on or made worse by the pandemic. In fact there’s been an epidemic of loneliness. According to the Office for National … Read More
We’re learning more about lasting damage of coronavirus
Many commentators are saying Covid-19 will be with us for some time. Indeed, I believe it’s with us for good. We just have to learn to manage it and live with it. Safely. But something else that will stay with … Read More
Prevention is better than cure when it comes to insect bites
Hardly anyone escapes summer without suffering a few insect bites, some just irritating, some so bad they interfere with sleep, and a few serious enough to cause a full-blown allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis. I’ve had all three over the … Read More
Hypertension in pregnancy may lead to heart disease
At every antenatal visit a mum-to-be is checked for high blood pressure for the very good reason it may warn of eclampsia later in her pregnancy. Now we find it can be the forerunner of heart disease later in life. … Read More
Women’s eggs ‘choose’ sperm – and it’s not always partner’s
Choosing our partner is all a matter of personal choice, judgment and preference. But when it comes to fertility, there’s something working away much deeper than superficial attraction or sex appeal. Would you believe a woman’s egg chooses which sperm … Read More
Our gut bacteria could guide us to cures for major diseases
Are you lactose intolerant? Your problem is caused by a single mutation in a gene that means you can’t digest the sugar in milk – lactose. The rest of us without the mutation can. The exciting fact is that the gene mutation … Read More