Statins: The time of day you take statins may influence ‘frequency of adverse events’
Statins confer protection against heart disease by reducing the production of cholesterol inside the liver. Millions of lives have doubtlessly been saved as a result of taking statins. However, in rare circumstances, cholesterol-lowering drugs can cause side effects. Research suggests the timing of the day influences the “frequency of adverse events”. It has long been understood that taking specific…
Do we still need to wear a mask outdoors?
“I’m vaccinated and I’m outside. Do I really still need to wear a mask?” “If I’m on a run and not near a lot of people. Do I need a mask?” “If I’m walking down the sidewalk and pass someone – should I put my mask on?” As the warmer weather months arrive and the…
COVID: British doctors seek review of gap between Pfizer vaccine doses
Doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) are urging England’s chief medical officer to “urgently review” plans to allow a 12-week gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer/BioNtech coronavirus vaccine. UK government officials had said that second doses would be scheduled 12 weeks after the first doses, even though in the vaccine…
Covid: Post-exposure antibody protection trialled
Ten people have been given antibodies as a form of emergency protection after being exposed to coronavirus, in the first trial of its kind. The experimental jab is being offered to people who have been in close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case within the past eight days. If it proves effective, it could protect…
The coronavirus vaccine rollout will be messy. People will have to deal with that.
A vaccine kit sent to the wrong state. A hospital system in California expecting to get powdered vaccines instead of frozen vials. And tens of thousands of people expect to get vaccinated in the coming weeks, when in reality they are going to have to wait for months. The rollout of the first coronavirus vaccine…
Covid vaccine: What you need to know about vaccine safety
In any conversation about vaccine safety, there is one statistic worth holding on to: one in 1,000. One in 1,000 of the entire UK population has already died after being infected with coronavirus during the pandemic. This is the known threat from the disease that any risks have to be balanced against. In medicine there…
Covid-19: PM sets out ‘tougher’ post-lockdown tiers for England
Gyms and non-essential shops in all parts of England will be allowed to reopen when lockdown ends next month, the prime minister has announced. Boris Johnson told the Commons that the three-tiered regional measures will return from 2 December, but he added that each tier will be toughened. Spectators will be allowed to return to…
There are now three promising COVID vaccine candidates. This is what we know about them.
A third candidate vaccine is also extremely effective against COVID-19, confirming that previous results were not a fluke and that vaccination offers a way out of the pandemic. AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s vaccine, which uses a different technology but the same target as two other candidates, is clearly as effective, according to a press release…
Coronavirus: What is a recession and how could it affect me?
The recession is over. The UK saw the best economic growth on record. But times are still hard, and the economy is not actually doing that well. How can all these things be true at the same time, and why does it matter? What is a recession? In normal times, a country’s economy grows. Its…
Bank heads: Outlook uncertain despite vaccine optimism
US and European central bank chiefs have said that the global economic outlook remains uncertain despite some promising vaccine trials. Fed chair Jerome Powell and ECB President Christine Lagarde said the economy was still in for a tough time. This is despite the development of a potential vaccine by US drugmaker Pfizer and German partner…