Flowers in The UK Are Blooming a Whole Month Earlier Than They Did in The 1980s

For centuries, British flowers have been blooming like clockwork. A few months into spring, sometime around May or June, the nation bursts into color. Since the early 1980s, however, hundreds of plants have grown out of sync with the seasons, which means they’re also unraveling from the complicated tapestry of interactions that keep ecosystems sustainably … Read more

Covid-19 news: Mandatory vaccines scrapped for NHS workers in England

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool and Alex Wilkins NHS staff join protesters in London, England Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images Latest coronavirus news as of 11am on 1 February Vaccinations will not be a condition of employment for … Read more

Health check newsletter: England lets covid-19 rip: What happens next?

As covid restrictions are relaxed in the UK, we look at how these new policies could play out Health 25 January 2022 By Clare Wilson A woman wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus, London, England Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Hello, and welcome to this week’s Health … Read more

Covid-19 news: Infections in England remain at ‘extremely high’ level

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool Pedestrians walk across London Bridge, London, England, 21 January 2022 ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstoc​k Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 26 January Around 1 in 23 people in England were infected with the omicron … Read more

Covid-19 news: Self-isolation period cut to 5 days in England

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool Sajid Javid, health secretary, arrives at No.10 Downing Street, London, UK James Veysey/Shutterstock Latest coronavirus news as of 2pm on 13 January Isolation period shortened for people with covid-19 in England People who … Read more

Covid-19 news: Hospitals in England declare critical incidents

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool A man passes a temporary ‘Nightingale’ field hospital constructed in south London, England, 3 January 2022. NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstoc​k Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 4 January Staff shortages force health service providers … Read more

Early Studies Out of UK Indicate Omicron Has a Lower Hospitalization Rate Than Delta

Two studies from Britain published Wednesday showed COVID infections with Omicron are less likely to result in hospitalization compared to the Delta variant, the latest research confirming a trend first identified in South Africa.​   The preliminary studies – one paper from Scotland and the other from England – were cautiously welcomed by experts, who nonetheless … Read more

Covid-19 news: Isolation rules for covid cases changed in England

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool The NHS covid-19 app counts down the days left of isolation after a positive test Sara Sadler/Alamy Latest coronavirus news as of 11am on 22 December Officials say isolating for 10 days avoids … Read more

Omicron: England must act before Christmas to limit hospitalisations and deaths

By Michael Le Page and Graham Lawton People queue for vaccinations at St Thomas’ Hospital in London Dan Kitwood/Getty Images The world is facing a surge in hospitalisations and deaths from the omicron variant of the coronavirus that could be as bad as in previous waves, even if omicron is only a third as severe … Read more