COMMENT

Wear a mask in public — Successive COVID infections increase health risks, new study

— A new study shows that repeat COVID infections contribute to a significant additional risk of adverse health conditions in multiple organ systems. Long COVID is going to be a defining issue of our times.

OPINION

China-bashing is being used to normalise mass-disability and loss of life

— China’s Zero COVID policy is being criticised as a means of legitimising the abandonment of public health in the West.

What The Experts Say

Do not ignore COVID, experts say

— What health experts think about the current COVID situation, and why getting the winter booster jab and wearing face masks now is important.

What The Experts Say

COVID-19: It looks like we are in for a bad October – Experts

— What health experts say about the autumn COVID wave currently hitting the UK and what they think we should do next.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Children in England turning five will no longer be offered a jab – here’s why that’s bad news

— Vaccinating children against COVID is important. But only 11% of 5- to 11-year-olds in England have received the first dose of COVID vaccine. Where we have safe and effective vaccines, there’s no sense in not rolling them out.

COVID-19

End of global COVID-19 pandemic in sight — WHO chief

— According to the head of the World Health Organization, the world has never been in a better position to end the COVID-19 pandemic but now is not the time to stop the fight against the virus that already killed 6 million people worldwide.

What The Experts Say

It’s reassuring that summer was spent wisely planning for the coming COVID winter... or was it?

— This summer, the government has done absolutely nothing to prepare schools, the NHS and communities for the coming autumn COVID wave nor has it got any plans for the subsequent winter COVID wave, a health expert explains.

COVID-19

Long COVID: Why it’s so hard to tell how many people get it

— A recent study suggests one in eight people who get COVID will go on to develop long COVID.

COVID-19

Many people are still shielding from COVID – and their mental health is getting worse.

— While the general public has become less anxious over the course of the pandemic, the opposite is true for vulnerable people who have been shielding from COVID-19 and whose mental health is getting worse.

COVID-19

Our current COVID vaccines could soon be updated to target new variants.

— Against omicron, many of us will have minimal neutralising antibodies left after infection because of the variant’s ability to rapidly mutate. It may be time for a new generation of COVID vaccines.

Education

How teachers supported children and parents through COVID-19 school closures.

— Teachers went to great effort to help parents support their children’s learning during the lockdown periods.

COVID & Travel

Should I still go on holiday if I have COVID?

— Given most countries have stopped requiring negative COVID tests to enter, can you just go? An ethicist weighs in.

COVID-19

Stronger democracies have seen fewer excess deaths during COVID.

— The way societies are governed seems to have influenced how they’ve fared in terms of excess deaths during the pandemic. For pandemic preparedness, the public must be able to trust authorities and institutions.

Long COVID

Long COVID: Female sex, older age and existing health problems increase risk – new research.

— A new study has analysed UK data from long-term health surveys and electronic health records to understand how common long COVID is, and who might be at higher risk.

Analysis

We shouldn’t be complacent to the potential threat of this, or subsequent COVID waves.

— Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 are behind an increasing wave of infections in the UK. The wall of immunity put up by vaccinations and previous infections is not as strong as it once was. So, what happens next?

COVID-19

Vaccination could reduce Long COVID symptoms, new research suggests.

— A study of more than 28,000 UK adults has found that vaccination after having COVID is linked to a decrease in long COVID symptoms.