The World Health Organization has recommended using the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine even in countries tackling new variants of coronavirus. bbc.co.uk/news/health-56…
The @CDCgov has updated its guidance on face coverings following new experimental results that highlight the importance of well-fitting, double-layered masks. edition.cnn.com/2021/02/10/hea…
Budesonide, a cheap and widely available asthma drug, appears to significantly reduce the risk of people getting seriously ill with covid-19, if it is taken within the first week of developing symptoms, research suggests. theguardian.com/world/2021/feb…
If you're getting a #COVID19 vaccine, there are a few things you can do to give your jab the best chance of working, based on research on other vaccinations. (Thread)
1. Avoid stress. Many studies have found that people experiencing stress have weaker antibody responses to vaccines, and positive mood on the day of vaccination is linked to a stronger response.
2. Sleep well. Studies report that people who get plenty of sleep on the nights before the vaccination have stronger antibody responses than those who sleep less.
The arthritis drug tocilizumab has been found to save lives when given to patients in hospital with severe covid-19 and reduce the risk of needing ventilation. bbc.co.uk/news/health-56…
People who have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine exhibit strong T-cell responses against the virus variants first identified in Kent and South Africa, according to a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed. theguardian.com/world/2021/feb…
Victoria state, Australia, has imposed a 5-day lockdown on around 6.5 million people in response to a new covid-19 cluster linked to a quarantine hotel in Melbourne, with 13 confirmed cases. news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
Millions of doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine will go to waste in Japan due to a shortage of specialist syringes, which means only five doses can be extracted from each vial, not six as intended. theguardian.com/world/2021/feb…
People with dementia have a significantly greater risk of contracting covid-19 and are much more likely to be hospitalised and die from it, a study of millions of medical records in the US has found. nytimes.com/2021/02/09/hea…
Germany plans to extend restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus until 14 March, according to a draft agreement for talks between chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of the 16 federal states. reuters.com/article/us-hea…
Thousands of extra covid-19 tests are being rolled out in Manchester after four cases with a mutation linked to the variant first identified in southeast England were detected. news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
All travellers entering the UK will be required to take two coronavirus tests while quarantining in an attempt to prevent variants entering the country. Health secretary Matt Hancock will set out more details in the Commons today. bbc.co.uk/news/business-…
One in three covid-19 patients put on a ventilator experience extensive symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study published in BJPsych Open. theguardian.com/world/2021/feb…
Almost all people previously infected with covid-19 have high levels of antibodies for at least six months that are likely to protect them from reinfection with the disease, a @uk_biobank study has found. reuters.com/article/us-hea…
One dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provides sustained protection against covid-19 for at least three months and cuts transmission of the virus by two-thirds, according to preliminary findings that have not yet been peer-reviewed. theguardian.com/society/2021/f…
Samples of the more transmissible B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant, which was first detected in the UK, have acquired a mutation that will help them evade immune protection – the same mutation already present in the B.1.351 variant in South Africa. newscientist.com/article/226642…
Public health workers in England will begin door-to-door covid-19 testing of 80,000 people today in a bid to stem the spread of the so-called South African variant of the coronavirus. reuters.com/article/us-hea…
Death rates among people who end up in intensive care with covid-19 have improved dramatically since the start of the pandemic thanks to advances in treatment, according to an analysis of 52 studies worldwide. theguardian.com/world/2021/feb…
Japan plans to extend its state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and eight other prefectures as the country continues to battle rising covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said. edition.cnn.com/2021/02/02/asi…