Lockdown living: how Europeans are avoiding going stir crazy
11 MINS AGO - People across Europe are finding increasingly inventive ways to protect themselves against the Expand
11 MINS AGO - People across Europe are finding increasingly inventive ways to protect themselves against the psychological risks of isolationIn Italy they are singing and sharing recipes. In France, humour is saving the day. In Spain, communal staircases have become the new running tracks, and in Germany, ordinarily disorderly hackers are busy coding corona-busting apps.As hundreds of millions of Europeans languish in lockdown, people are finding increasingly inventive ways to keep themselves entertained – and to counter what the continent’s psychologists warning are the very real risks of confinement. Continue reading... Collapse
Chaos and panic': Lancet editor says NHS was left unprepared for Covid-19
1 HR AGO - Numerous warnings were issued in medical journal but not heeded, Richard Horton writesCoronavirus Expand
1 HR AGO - Numerous warnings were issued in medical journal but not heeded, Richard Horton writesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe NHS could have prevented “chaos and panic” had the system not been left “wholly unprepared for this pandemic”, the editor of a British medical journal has said.Numerous warnings were issued but these were not heeded, Richard Horton wrote in The Lancet. He cited an example from his journal on 20 January, pointing to a global epidemic: “Preparedness plans should be readied for deployment at short notice, including securing supply chains of pharmaceuticals, personal protective equipment, hospital supplies and the necessary human resources to deal with the consequences of a global outbreak of this magnitude.” Continue reading... Collapse
Coronavirus live news: Cases in Italy overtake China, US infections pass 100,000
8 HRS AGO - Trump invokes Defence Protection Act; Syria introduces travel restrictions; The UK, Spain, Italy Expand
8 HRS AGO - Trump invokes Defence Protection Act; Syria introduces travel restrictions; The UK, Spain, Italy see biggest daily rise in deaths. Follow the latest updatesCoronavirus latest: at a glanceItaly records 969 coronavirus deaths dashing hopes of turnaroundUS coronavirus – liveCovid-19 workers in Spain: ‘You can feel the fear in the air’See all our coronavirus coverage 12.25am GMT Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Sullivan. I’ll be taking you through the next few hours of important updates and breaking new as the number of cases worldwide moves towards 600,000. Both the US and Italy now have more cases than China, with 101,657 and 86,498 respectively. Continue reading... Collapse
Dangerous cures and viral hoaxes: common coronavirus myths busted
14 HRS AGO - With so much misinformation about Covid-19 circulating online, we’ve factchecked some of the more Expand
14 HRS AGO - With so much misinformation about Covid-19 circulating online, we’ve factchecked some of the more common fallaciesThe spread of Covid-19 has been matched only by the spread of misinformation circulating in response to the pandemic.The misinformation is most prevalent on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and text messaging. Despite companies like Facebook and Google trying to flag the more widely spread fraudulent news, some of it is unavoidable. Continue reading... Collapse
Science and psychology of the coronavirus crisis | Letters
15 HRS AGO - Simon Wood on the expertise of epidemiologists, Graeme Henderson on the PPE shortage, Martin Expand
15 HRS AGO - Simon Wood on the expertise of epidemiologists, Graeme Henderson on the PPE shortage, Martin McKee, Mark Flear and Anniek de Ruijter on the EU’s ventilator scheme, Dr Jeremy Holmes on mourning a lost way of life and Dr Helen Lucas on hope in these dark timesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePublishing an article by Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Yaneer Bar-Yam (The UK’s coronavirus policy may sound scientific. It isn’t, 25 March) on the Covid-19 pandemic rather implies that it is a “black swan” event. It may be for most of us, but not for epidemiologists, for whom this pandemic is not outside the range of expectation. Neither should it be a black swan for anyone whose knowledge of history goes back to 1918. Would you rather the pandemic was managed by those for whom it is a black swan event, or those for whom it is not? I’ve published peer-reviewed papers on modelling disease epidemics with data, and am aware of the limitations of my knowledge in the current Collapse
Vital drug for people with lupus running out after 'unproven' Covid-19 link
16 HRS AGO - Italy and France now prescribing hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus despite fact its effectiveness Expand
16 HRS AGO - Italy and France now prescribing hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus despite fact its effectiveness is unknownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA stampede for an unproven “cure” for Covid-19 is clearing the pharmacy shelves of a medicine that is vital for up to 5 million people around the world suffering from lupus, as countries bow to populist pressure and abandon the trials that would show whether hydroxychloroquine works against coronavirus infection.Both Italy and France have said doctors can now prescribe hydroxychloroquine – a less toxic version of the malaria drug chloroquine – even though there is no robust evidence to prove that it is effective against Covid-19. Continue reading... Collapse
Back poor countries fighting Covid-19 with trillions or face disaster, G20 told
20 HRS AGO - Experts warn leaders of huge social and economic consequences of failing to support developing Expand
20 HRS AGO - Experts warn leaders of huge social and economic consequences of failing to support developing states against ‘unprecedented threat’ Economists and global health experts have called on G20 leaders to provide trillions of dollars to poorer countries to shore up ailing healthcare systems and economies, or face a disaster that will rebound on wealthier states through migration and health crises.Twenty experts, among them four Nobel prizewinners, including Joseph Stiglitz, Lord Nicholas Stern and seven chief economists of the World Bank and other development banks, have written to G20 leaders to warn of “unimaginable health and social impacts” as coronavirus rips through the developing world, taking overburdened healthcare systems beyond breaking point, and causing economic and social devastation. Continue reading... Collapse
First ‘Geek-in-Chief’: shy Scot who paved way for Prof Chris Whitty
22 HRS AGO - Dr James Niven in Manchester achieved UK-wide fame during Spanish flu pandemic in 1918Coronavirus Expand
22 HRS AGO - Dr James Niven in Manchester achieved UK-wide fame during Spanish flu pandemic in 1918Coronavirus – latest UK updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIf the coronavirus outbreak has produced a star it is perhaps England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, the cool-headed epidemiologist described by the Guardian sketch writer, John Crace, as “the Geek-in-Chief, whom everyone now regards as the country’s de facto prime minister”.But Whitty is not the first medic to achieve celebrity status during a national health crisis. Over 100 years ago there was Dr James Niven, a straight-talking if shy Scot, who as medical officer for Manchester managed to cut the city’s death rate from 24.2 per thousand in 1893 to 13.8 per thousand in 1921 – thanks to his pioneering insistence on improved sanitation, maternity services, health visiting, infant welfare, smoke abatement, and preventive measures against TB. Continue reading... Collapse
Coronavirus test kits withdrawn in Spain over poor accuracy rate
23 HRS AGO - Batch with only 30% detection rate was bought by health officials from Chinese supplierCoronavirus Expand
23 HRS AGO - Batch with only 30% detection rate was bought by health officials from Chinese supplierCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Spanish government has withdrawn 9,000 Chinese-made coronavirus testing kits from use after it emerged that they had an accurate detection rate of just 30%.Like other countries struggling to diagnose and treat the virus, Spain has looked to China for rapid testing kits equipment and much-needed supplies, and announced this week that it would spend €432m on tests, masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment. Continue reading... Collapse
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Coronavirus: what are the latest scientific advances?
1 HR AGO - From antibody testing to virus mutations, here’s what we have learned this weekCoronavirus – Expand
1 HR AGO - From antibody testing to virus mutations, here’s what we have learned this weekCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus has accelerated scientific developments to a wartime pace. Here are some of the significant advances this week. Continue reading... Collapse
What happens to people's lungs when they get coronavirus?
2 HRS AGO - Respiratory physician John Wilson explains the range of Covid-19 impacts, from no symptoms to Expand
2 HRS AGO - Respiratory physician John Wilson explains the range of Covid-19 impacts, from no symptoms to severe illness featuring pneumoniaCoronavirus – latest global updatesAustralia coronavirus live blogSee all our coronavirus coverageWhat became known as Covid-19, or the coronavirus, started in late 2019 as a cluster of pneumonia cases with an unknown cause. The cause of the pneumonia was found to be a new virus – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or Sars-CoV-2. The illness caused by the virus is Covid-19.Now declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the majority of people who contract Covid-19 suffer only mild, cold-like symptoms. Continue reading... Collapse
Frontline NHS staff first to receive new Covid-19 antigen tests
12 HRS AGO - Tests due next week will confirm whether self-isolating healthcare workers can return to Expand
12 HRS AGO - Tests due next week will confirm whether self-isolating healthcare workers can return to workCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageTests for healthcare workers will be rolled out next week, allowing them to confirm whether they have been infected or are safe to work, the government has announced.Michael Gove – standing in for the prime minister at the daily briefing after Boris Johnson was diagnosed with Covid-19 – said that the testing was being trialled immediately, with hundreds expected to be able to access the tests over the weekend, with a “dramatic” increase in testing across the country next week. Continue reading... Collapse
Waitrose to set aside quarter of delivery slots for elderly shoppers
14 HRS AGO - Supermarket says it will prioritise deliveries amid concern over food supplies for vulnerable Expand
14 HRS AGO - Supermarket says it will prioritise deliveries amid concern over food supplies for vulnerable peopleCoronavirus – latest UK updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWaitrose is setting aside at least a quarter of its online grocery delivery slots for elderly and vulnerable shoppers amid rising concern about food supplies for those isolated at home.The supermarket is also expanding its online delivery operation as Tesco limits online shoppers to 80 items per order to free up space in delivery vans and service more people sheltering at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading... Collapse
Trump's narcissism has taken a new twist. And now he has American blood on his hands | Jonathan Freedland
15 HRS AGO - The US president has been exposed by the coronavirus crisis. The only small comfort for the rest Expand
15 HRS AGO - The US president has been exposed by the coronavirus crisis. The only small comfort for the rest of the world is that he’s not their leaderPity the people of America. They do battle now with one of the greatest challenges in their history, led by a man who is not only among the worst ever occupants of the White House but whose character makes him the last person on the face of the Earth you would nominate to be in charge at this moment. On Thursday the US reached the top of the global league table for coronavirus infections, edging ahead of its closest rival for that honour, China. No law of nature dictated that outcome. Much of it is directly attributable to one dreadful fact: that Donald Trump is president of the United States.It’s become a commonplace to note Trump’s lack of basic human empathy, his tendency to be unmoved by others’ loss. But that gap in his mindset matters now far beyond an inability to offer consolation to the bereaved: it is warping his approach to a lethal Collapse
Advice on protective gear for NHS staff was rejected owing to cost
18 HRS AGO - Exclusive: DoH dismissed call for eye protection – now needed for coronavirus – in 2017Coronavirus Expand
18 HRS AGO - Exclusive: DoH dismissed call for eye protection – now needed for coronavirus – in 2017Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Department of Health rejected high-level medical advice about providing NHS staff with certain protective equipment during an influenza pandemic because stockpiling it would be too expensive, the Guardian can reveal.Symptoms are defined by the NHS as either: Continue reading... Collapse
Virtual reality video shows damage coronavirus can cause to lungs within days
21 HRS AGO - Doctors at George Washington University used a 360-degree VR camera to film to the lungs of a Expand
21 HRS AGO - Doctors at George Washington University used a 360-degree VR camera to film to the lungs of a coronavirus patient at their hospital Collapse
Pangolins may have carried coronavirus between bats and humans, study finds
22 HRS AGO - While previous studies suggested that bats or snakes may have been responsible, the new study Expand
22 HRS AGO - While previous studies suggested that bats or snakes may have been responsible, the new study indicates that another animal may be the missing link - pangolins Collapse
Coronavirus vaccine: when will it be ready?
23 HRS AGO - Human trials will begin imminently – but even if they go well, there are many hurdles before Expand
23 HRS AGO - Human trials will begin imminently – but even if they go well, there are many hurdles before global immunisation is feasibleCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEven at their most effective – and draconian – containment strategies have only slowed the spread of the respiratory disease Covid-19. With the World Health Organization finally declaring a pandemic, all eyes have turned to the prospect of a vaccine, because only a vaccine can prevent people from getting sick.About 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create such a vaccine, at least four of which already have candidates they have been testing in animals. The first of these – produced by Boston-based biotech firm Moderna – will enter human trials imminently. Continue reading... Collapse
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Tackle climate crisis and poverty with zeal of Covid-19 fight, scientists urge
1 HR AGO - Actions taken to suppress coronavirus reveal what measures are possible in an emergency, say Expand
1 HR AGO - Actions taken to suppress coronavirus reveal what measures are possible in an emergency, say expertsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGovernment responses to climate breakdown and to the challenges of poverty and inequality must be changed permanently after the coronavirus has been dealt with, leading scientists have urged, as the actions taken to suppress the spread of the virus have revealed what measures are possible in an emergency.The Covid-19 crisis has revealed what governments are capable of doing and shone a new light on the motivation for past policies and their outcomes, said Sir Michael Marmot, professor of epidemiology and public health at University College London, and chair of the commission of the social determinants of health at the World Health Organisation. Continue reading... Collapse
Coronavirus: US becomes first country to exceed 100,000 cases
2 HRS AGO - Number of infected people rises by 15,000 with hospitals warning about scarcities of medical Expand
2 HRS AGO - Number of infected people rises by 15,000 with hospitals warning about scarcities of medical supplies and staff Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe US has become the first country to exceed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as Donald Trump signed into law the largest economic stimulus package in US history, a $2.2tn bill designed to rush federal assistance to workers and businesses.The number of confirmed US cases rose by 15,000 on Friday, fewer than the 16,000 reported on Thursday. By Friday night there were more than 6,000 hospitalised Covid-19 patients in New York with almost 1,600 in intensive care while the state had logged 519 deaths, the most in the US, and more than 44,000 infections. Continue reading... Collapse
Coronavirus and volunteering: how can I help in the UK?
13 HRS AGO - From lending a hand to local charities to bolstering the efforts of the NHS, there are many ways Expand
13 HRS AGO - From lending a hand to local charities to bolstering the efforts of the NHS, there are many ways to get involvedAll our coronavirus coverageI want to help. Where can I find about about volunteering?There are plenty of ways to get involved. Many local charities will be keen to attract new volunteers – especially as older stalwarts are forced to stay at home. Or there are national schemes, such as NHS volunteer responders. Some bigger charities, such as the Trussell Trust food bank network, have set up their own online schemes to match volunteers with food banks in their area. Local volunteer centres and organisations such as Volunteering Matters and Do-it can link you up with charities close to where you live. Reach Volunteering will match people with specialist professional skills, such IT expertise, to charities who need their help. Continue reading... Collapse
Trump is trying to stop people from seeing this ad on his response to coronavirus
14 HRS AGO - Lawyers have sent cease and desist letters to stop stations from airing the video, which edits Expand
14 HRS AGO - Lawyers have sent cease and desist letters to stop stations from airing the video, which edits together Trump’s statements downplaying the crisisA Biden super-PAC has released an advert which Trump is fighting with cease and desist letters. And it’s about his response to the coronavirus.The video juxtaposes a number of Trump’s statements underplaying the seriousness of the pandemic next to a chart showing the rising number of US cases of Covid-19. At the end of the clip, Trump can be heard refusing to take responsibility for lack of testing in the US (comments he made at a 13 March press conference), before the texts appears: “America needs a leader we can trust.” Continue reading... Collapse
UK scientists enrol volunteers for coronavirus vaccine trial
16 HRS AGO - Oxford team to recruit up to 510 healthy adults without Covid-19 in race to stop further Expand
16 HRS AGO - Oxford team to recruit up to 510 healthy adults without Covid-19 in race to stop further spreadCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOxford scientists are enrolling the first volunteers to test a UK coronavirus vaccine, in a dramatic acceleration of the typical pace of drug development.The trial will recruit up to 510 healthy adults, aged 18 to 55, to test the vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. The participants will not receive the vaccine for some weeks. Continue reading... Collapse
James Bond gun collection stolen in London raid
20 HRS AGO - Pistols from Die Another Day, Walther PPK from A View to a Kill and special chrome Magnum from Expand
20 HRS AGO - Pistols from Die Another Day, Walther PPK from A View to a Kill and special chrome Magnum from Live and Let Die among items taken in burglaryAn “irreplaceable” collection of prop guns used in James Bond films has been stolen from a house in Enfield, north London.Five deactivated guns, including Beretta Cheetah and Tomcat pistols from Die Another Day and the iconic Walther PPK handgun used in A View to a Kill are among the weapons reported taken. Continue reading... Collapse
Coronavirus map of the US: latest cases state by state
22 HRS AGO - Coronavirus – live updatesFull coronavirus coverageThe number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 Expand
22 HRS AGO - Coronavirus – live updatesFull coronavirus coverageThe number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 continues to grow in the US. Mike Pence, the vice-president, is overseeing the US response to the coronavirus.So far, 80% of patients experience a mild form of the illness, which can include a fever and pneumonia, and many of these cases require little to no medical intervention. That being said, elderly people and those with underlying conditions such as diabetes or heart and lung issues are the most vulnerable. The coronavirus death rate in China for people 80 or over, in the government’s study of more than 72,000 cases, was 14.8%. Continue reading... Collapse
We fear, but have to work': isolation not an option for the poor of Nairobi
23 HRS AGO - As coronavirus arrives in Kenya, retreat behind closed doors is only an alternative for those who Expand
23 HRS AGO - As coronavirus arrives in Kenya, retreat behind closed doors is only an alternative for those who can afford itAll photographs by Duncan MooreBenson Kinyale is a security guard who works the door at a luxury apartment complex in the Parklands neighbourhood of Nairobi. While residents of the building have started to hoard supplies and stay at home because of Covid-19, he continues to make the 80km commute by bus from his home outside the city, six days a week.He knows standing outside and opening doors all day is now a high-risk activity, as is travelling on a crowded matatu minibus almost every day. But he has little choice. Continue reading... Collapse
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