Petition

Petition — Boris Johnson: Don’t scrap free COVID testing and isolation!

— In just 24 hours, the majority of people in England will no longer be able to get free COVID tests. John Puntis, retired Doctor and co-chair of Keep NHS Public is urging the government to rethink this policy.

Analysis

Caught COVID? What you should and shouldn’t do when self-isolation isn’t mandatory.

— The virus is still a threat. Be kind to yourself and others if you catch it because people will continue to get severely ill and die from COVID.

What The Experts Say

COVID numbers are spiking, yet still no public health messaging.

— The views of experts and health professionals on whether there is cause for concern as COVID case numbers are rising again, the risk of a new variant to show up, the situation in schools and long COVID.

COMMENT

Delaying care now will overburden healthcare much more!

— Far too many COVID patients are still not seeking medical care early enough. Here is how you can get prepared.

COMMENT

As COVID rises again, the UK Government’s only plan is denial and distraction.

— “Brace yourselves” for rising COVID cases, the UK Government says. The scandalous failure to plan for long-term protection of lives.

COVID-19

Four experts examine the big successes and failures of the COVID response so far.

— In the two years since COVID was declared a pandemic, vaccines and treatments have been rapidly developed – yet millions worldwide have died.

Analysis

Uptake of children’s COVID vaccines is low in the UK – and their slow, confused approval is to blame.

— Under a quarter of 12- to 15-year-olds are double vaccinated in the UK, while vaccines for younger children are still yet to be rolled out.

COMMENT

Covid isn’t over.

— Long COVID will have long-lasting impacts on human resources and the economy.

What The Experts Say

Iceland: Mass infection will lead to mass disability – Experts.

— The views of experts and health professionals on the decision by the Icelandic authorities to call on mass infection for Iceland to achieve herd immunity and exit the COVID pandemic faster.

COVID-19

Why we must talk about ‘protections’ being lifted, not ‘restrictions’.

— “Time to remove all protective measures” is a lot harder to sell than “Time to remove all restrictions”, but it is the truth millions of people are experiencing every day. Language matters, a health expert explains.

COVID-19

Eight changes the world needs to make to live with COVID.

— There is no going back to a pre-pandemic normal – only forward to a new one. The world pre-2020 no longer exists.

What The Experts Say

Lifting all restrictions. The lunatics really are in charge. – Experts.

— The views of experts and health professionals on whether the government is right to stop free COVID testing, on the vaccination of children aged 5-11, the end of face mask requirement, and on the lifting of COVID self-isolation after a positive test.

COVID-19

COVID: Lifting the remaining measures is a dangerous and senseless move.

— Removing ways of tracking and preventing the spread of COVID will lead to more disruption and ill health. The outcome of going “back to normal” is that millions of people will catch COVID each year.

Threadscriptor

The world pre-2020 no longer exists.

— Fundamentally, the world is different now, a health expert writes. Acting as if it isn’t, which the UK seems determined to do, may feel good in the short term but will result in a new normal worse than the old one.

What The Experts Say

Lifting self-isolation, a profound mistake. Again. – Experts.

— The views of experts and health professionals on whether the COVID pandemic is over, and on the lifting of COVID self-isolation after a positive test.

COVID-19 & Schools

Legal advice: Government can’t ban the use of facemasks in schools.

— The Education Secretary doesn’t have the power to go over the heads of headteachers and ban the wearing of facemasks in school.