Post Archive by Year

We’ve got used to the idea of having a booster jab to raise levels of Covid ­antibodies, which can drop after two doses of the vaccine. But should we contemplate more? A fourth jab, for everyone? Well, Israel already has on a … Read More

We know it’s the unborn baby that triggers birth when it’s ready by sending signals to the womb to get things going. This is just the final act of growing a baby. It’s been bossing the placenta and womb for nine months, … Read More

With the burden of Covid, there’s no doubt it’s ­become harder to get a GP appointment – and their workload has rocketed. But a Manchester University study has shown it’s a ­relatively small group of patients who have been piling … Read More

Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and a brain injury can change behaviour by altering brain anatomy. Now it seems coronavirus can too. It wasn’t long after the pandemic started that we realised coronavirus targets not only the lungs but the heart, the brain … Read More

Science works in mysterious ways. Who’d have thought the common cold could protect against Covid-19? Well, it can. Many common cold viruses are ­coronaviruses, and people with higher levels of T cells from suffering cold coronaviruses are less likely to become infected with … Read More

Ever since the first time I had a smear test and had to bear the discomfort of a speculum exam, I’ve ­wondered why women had to suffer this intrusive procedure. It left me feeling humiliated – surely there was another … Read More

We think of antibiotic-resistant bacteria as a modern phenomenon brought about by the careless use of antibiotics. But are they? It now appears they’ve been around for centuries and may have arisen in an animal, not humans. Step forward the … Read More

For some reason teens are ­reluctant to report receiving sexual images, or being asked to share them, to their school, ­parents or social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. The findings of the Institute of Education, University College London, show that teenage girls … Read More

Back in 2020, I remember a man with breast cancer being refused access to online support groups – an example of appalling sexism. Perhaps it stemmed from not knowing men can get breast cancer, which is often thought of as a female condition, … Read More

Here’s a novel way to get more involved in your post-surgery recovery. Take a photo on your phone of your wound and send it to your care team so they can spot an infection in double-quick time, heading off infections … Read More