Covid-19: Why has the omicron variant hit Hong Kong so hard?

Covid-19 cases are soaring in Hong Kong, and the government’s focus on testing instead of vaccinating older populations may be the reason deaths are spiking and hospitals are overwhelmed Health | Analysis 8 March 2022 By Michael Le Page Health workers at a mobile testing lab in Hong Kong Kin Cheung/AP/Shutterstock Covid-19 cases in Hong … Read more

Covid-19 news: Booster protection against omicron may wane in months

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong, Alex Wilkins and Alexandra Thompson Covid-19 booster jab information campaign, Putney, London, UK Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 7 March Booster jabs substantially increased protection against omicron but … Read more

Covid-19 news: Arthritis drug shows promise to treat severe cases

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong, Alex Wilkins and Alexandra Thompson Baricitinib Felipe caparros cruz/Alamy Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 4 March Immune-suppressing treatment reduces deaths even in people already taking existing covid-19 medicines Another treatment … Read more

Covid-19 news: WHO reports 25 per cent rise in depression and anxiety

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong, Alex Wilkins and Alexandra Thompson A woman waters plants in her house Samuel de Roman/Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 3 March Pandemic linked to increase in depression and … Read more

Covid-19 news: Worldwide IVF and fertility treatments delays revealed

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong and Alex Wilkins In vitro fertilisation Mike Kiev/Alamy Latest coronavirus news as of 11am on 2 March A study of 43 countries suggests the coronavirus pandemic has substantially pushed back fertility treatments, … Read more

When Should COVID School Restrictions Lift? Intense Debates Persist

Last Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a pivot in its guidelines for indoor mask wearing that suggests that more than two thirds of Americans no longer need to wear masks—including children in schools. “We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when our levels are low and … Read more

Covid-19 news: Pfizer/BioNTech jab may be less effective in under 12s

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong and Alex Wilkins A child receives a dose of Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 1 March Study suggests that protection from two doses of … Read more

Covid-19 news: Omicron immune response protects against BA.2 variant

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong and Alex Wilkins Covid-19 seen under the microscope Shutterstock / Naeblys Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 28 February Data suggests that people who’ve had the BA.1 omicron variant are protected … Read more