HIV: ‘VB’ is a new and more infectious variant – but it is treatable

The new variant has been found mainly in the Netherlands and it is more infectious, but it can be detected with existing tests and responds to treatment Health 3 February 2022 By Clare Wilson A computer illustration of HIV infecting an immune system cell Science Photo Library / Alamy Stock Photo A more transmissible and … Read more

World-First Experiment That Infected People With Coronavirus Shares Early Results

Scientists deliberately infected young, healthy volunteers with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – and now, they’ve shared their first results from that experiment.      The new study, published Tuesday (Feb. 1) in Springer Nature’s preprint database, In Review, has not yet been peer-reviewed, but it could provide insight into how mild COVID-19 unfolds, from the moment … Read more

Chlamydia: Infectious disease found in 1 in 3 birds tested at Australian animal hospital

A survey of birds entering an Australian animal hospital shows a huge number of them carry chlamydia, including strains never seen before in Australia Life 31 January 2022 By Alice Klein The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), native to Australia electra kay-smith / Alamy Nearly one-third of hospitalised Australian birds are carrying chlamydia, including some novel … Read more

It’s Time to Upgrade Your Mask, Experts Say. Here’s Why

With the rapid spread of Omicron, many countries are rethinking their COVID mask advice for the community. Respirators have been mandatory in public places in Austria for a year. Now, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests respirators be considered for greater protection, for instance, on public transport or in enclosed crowded … Read more

Why is omicron more infectious but less severe? What the science says so far

The omicron variant infects cells in a different way, is present in higher levels in saliva and seems more likely to cause asymptomatic infections – all findings that could help explain why omicron is spreading so rapidly but resulting in a lower proportion of hospitalisations and deaths Health 6 January 2022 By Michael Le Page … Read more