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
Unborn babies regularly send signals, bossing placenta and womb for nine months
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
Extra pressures are shaping the way GPs care for us with more remote consultations
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
Covid targets not only the lungs but the heart, the brain and other vital organs
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
T cells we pick up from common colds could protect us against Covid-19
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
Easy DIY smear tests could cut cervical cancer deaths – just let women do it themselves
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
Humble hedgehogs could help our fight against superbugs like MRSA
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
Sharing sexual images has been dangerously normalised among teenagers
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
Men get breast cancer too and need to know their other risks from mutant gene
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
Surgery selfies could save lives, stress and cash for the NHS
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