The coronavirus variant B.1.617.2, first identified in India, appears to be spread at last as easily as the “Kent variant” that now dominates UK infections, according to analysis by Public Health England. newscientist.com/article/227715…
The next stage of England’s path out of lockdown will go ahead next Monday, the prime minister has confirmed, allowing pubs and restaurants to serve customers inside and university students to return to in-person teaching. theguardian.com/world/2021/may…
US regulators have given approval to expand the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine to children as young as 12. A federal vaccine advisory committee is expected to issue recommendations for using the vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds tomorrow. apnews.com/article/corona…
Pharmaceutical firm Novavax has delayed its timeline for ramping up covid-19 vaccine production and said it does not expect to seek regulatory authorisation in the US, UK and Europe until the third quarter of 2021. reuters.com/business/healt…
Evidence is growing that a troubling variant of the coronavirus discovered in India is more transmissible than the variant that is currently dominant in the UK. Cases linked to the variant have tripled in a week in England. theguardian.com/world/2021/may…
Adults are more likely to report mild and moderate side-effects after having a different covid-19 vaccine for their second dose to their first, according to a UK study looking at the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. bbc.co.uk/news/health-57…
Delaying second vaccine doses for people younger than 65 to prioritise people getting their first dose could lead to fewer people dying of covid-19, according to a modelling study. reuters.com/business/healt…
India has reported a further 3293 deaths from covid-19 today, taking its total past 200,000. Hospitals in and around Delhi said oxygen remains scarce, despite commitments to step up supplies. reuters.com/world/india/in…
International travellers will be asked to demonstrate their covid-19 vaccination and testing status using the NHS smartphone app, the UK government has confirmed. theguardian.com/world/2021/apr…
A single dose of a Pfizer or AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine can reduce the transmission of the virus within households by up to half, according to a Public Health England study. bbc.co.uk/news/health-56…
The US will share up to 60 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries as they become available, the White House has said. bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-…
International aid has been arriving in India to help its healthcare system treat surging numbers of covid-19 patients. India recorded over 350,000 new cases and 2771 deaths today, but with testing labs overwhelmed, the true numbers may be much higher. theguardian.com/world/2021/apr…
The European Commission has launched legal action against AstraZeneca, alleging that the firm has not respected a contract for the supply of covid-19 vaccines. news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
Countries including the US and UK have pledged to deliver aid to India, including oxygen concentrators and ventilators, as hospitals struggle to cope with surging numbers of covid-19 cases. edition.cnn.com/2021/04/26/ind…
Shops, gyms, swimming pools, pubs, restaurants and cafes in Scotland are reopening after a four month-long lockdown. Pubs and restaurants in Wales may also open today for outdoor service. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla…
We polled 52 leading UK epidemiologists, virologists and public health researchers to see when they think life will return to something resembling normality.
A majority expect mandatory face masks in shops and on public transport to remain in the UK until at least 2022.
On physical distancing guidelines, the majority of experts polled expected them to stay in place until 2022, with five people predicting that they will stay until 2023. One respondent thought that the guidance would always be necessary.
At the time of questioning, the UK government had promised to offer a vaccine to every adult by September. This goal has now been moved forward to the end of July. Among respondents, 27 said the UK government would meet its old target, 19 thought not.
The two coronavirus vaccines being rolled out in the UK are proving to be highly effective at reducing hospitalisations, according to analyses of data from England and Scotland. newscientist.com/article/226876…
Secondary schools in England will test pupils for covid-19 twice a week when they reopen from 8 March. Government science advisers have warned that opening primary and secondary schools could increase R by 10 to 50 per cent. bbc.co.uk/news/education…
Mandatory wearing of face masks in shops and on public transport will probably stay in place in the UK until at least 2022, predict a majority of infectious disease experts polled by @newscientist. newscientist.com/article/226803…