Almost every move ministers have made during the Covid-19 pandemic has been ­garlanded with the phrase “we’re following the science”. Really? Early on there were some decisions that glaringly weren’t following the science  For instance, on March 12 the Government … Read More

One of the most distressing ­aspects of the Covid-19 ­pandemic we’ve had to suffer is not being able to say goodbye to our loved ones when they die. Many people see this as a restriction of our civil liberties. But much worse … Read More

The readers in the 70+ age group who wrote to me complaining about staying in lockdown till there’s a vaccine must be feeling mightily relieved.  As of today, they can go outdoors, even meet up with members of their family … Read More

We mustn’t let the pain and shock we felt when we learned about the ­disastrous state of our care homes slip from the public memory, nor from the minds of politicians. It has taken the Covid-19 pandemic to reveal how … Read More

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