Covid 19

TThe COVID-19 restrictions preventing dentists in England from providing face-to-face treatment required some to unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics for dental pain, a study by University of Manchester researchers has shown. The results of the study were based on an analysis of NHS dental antibiotic prescribing data in England from before and...

Covid is on the rise again in the UK and people who feel unwell should avoid vulnerable friends, colleagues and relatives as a precaution, reports the BBC. Data suggests 1.3 million or one in 50 has Covid, with a "marked increase" in infections among over-70s in England. There are no...

Hospital visitors are being asked to wear facemasks and limit their time on wards to help prevent the spread of Covid, two NHS trusts said. Kettering and Northampton general hospitals, in Northamptonshire, have made facemasks mandatory for all visitors to wards and clinical areas. Visiting inpatients has been restricted to...

The first preliminary hearing of the UK Covid public inquiry has begun, the BBC reports. Those who have suffered will be at the heart of the Covid public inquiry, the chair of the inquiry has promised during the first preliminary hearing. Baroness Hallett said the pandemic had caused loss to...

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has called for face masks to be made compulsory on public transport again to prevent a winter Covid wave that could put added pressure on the stretched NHS reports The Telegraph Face coverings have not been in force since July last year, but...

The UK has become the first country to approve a dual vaccine which tackles both the original Covid virus and the recent Omicron variant. The new vaccine - produced by Moderna - will be offered to some people as part of the autumn booster campaign. Who will get an autumn...

Science writer Philip Ball argues that our government is pretending that the pandemic (much like Brexit) is ‘done’, ignoring both protective measures now and preparations for the future. Remember those days of looking at graphs and statistics of Covid infections and deaths and wondering if the end of the pandemic...

TThe UK has become the first country to approve a dual vaccine which tackles both the original Covid virus and the newer Omicron variant reports The Guardian. A vaccine designed to target two different forms of Covid has been approved by the UK regulator for use as booster jabs in...

NHS England has asked dental practices, hospitals and GP practices throughout the Midlands to return to mandatory mask wearing. It follows a 97% increase in hospital Covid-19 cases in acute trust settings and a significant spike in the use of critical care beds. On a national level, Covid-19 cases have...

The number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid is expected to rise further, said the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency BBC reports. Hospital cases and infections are down on earlier highs but Dame Jenny Harries told the BBC there could still be an impact on...