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What is behind the global spread of new Covid strain NB.1.8.1?

What is behind the global spread of new Covid strain NB.1.8.1?

Independent3 days ago

A new Covid variant, NB.1.8.1, derived from Omicron, is spreading globally, with a surge of cases reported in India and detections in Asian countries, the UK, the US, and Australia.
The WHO has classified NB.1.8.1 as a 'variant under monitoring' due to its potential impact on virus behaviour; by late April, it comprised 10.7 per cent of global sequences, up from 2.5 per cent a month prior.
Dr Naveed Asif, GP at The London General Practice, said the WHO assessed the additional risk to the global public as currently low.
Existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease, though it appears more transmissible than previous variants.
Common symptoms of the NB.1.8.1 variant include a severe sore throat, fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and congestion; some patients have also reported gastrointestinal symptoms.
Why has there been a global surge of new Covid variant NB.1.8.1?

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Monash IVF chief executive resigns after company's second embryo transplant bungle
Monash IVF chief executive resigns after company's second embryo transplant bungle

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

Monash IVF chief executive resigns after company's second embryo transplant bungle

Monash IVF boss Michael Knaap has resigned in the wake of the reproductive healthcare company's second embryo transplant bungle. In a statement to the ASX, Monash IVF said the board had accepted Knaap's resignation as chief executive officer and managing director. This week, Monash IVF admitted to a second bungled embryo implant. In April, Monash IVF revealed a woman had given birth to the child of an unrelated woman after a separate incorrect embryo transplant in Queensland. Monash IVF said in the statement on Thursday that it 'acknowledges and respects [Knaap's] decision'. 'Since his appointment in 2019, Michael has led the organisation through a period of significant growth and transformation, and we thank him for his years of dedicated service,' the statement said. Malik Jainudeen, Monash IVF chief financial officer and company secretary, will serve as acting chief executive. Experts are now calling for national regulation of the sector, something that the health minister, Mark Butler, said would be discussed on Friday when health ministers meet in Melbourne. Currently, IVF is regulated by state and territory laws, but a more consistent, federal approach is being urged. Clinics must be licensed by the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC), a subcommittee of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ). That's the unit that carries out audits, including on some assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics internationally. Clinics must also follow ethical guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council. FSANZ said in a statement about the latest Monash IVF incident that Australia's fertility care system was 'among the safest, most transparent, and tightly regulated in the world'. FSANZ president Dr Petra Wale said errors were 'exceedingly rare' although 'deeply difficult for those affected'. FSANZ has called for a nationally consistent framework for ART, and an independent statutory authority to 'strengthen oversight and trust'. It said that while the clinical standards in IVF clinics are nationally consistent, each state and territory has its own legislation. Transitioning the RTAC to an independent statutory authority would strengthen the accreditation scheme with 'the regulatory clarity and operational flexibility needed to uphold rigorous standards and respond swiftly to emerging risks', it said, while a national approach to ART would 'strengthen transparency, streamline governance, and enhance patient care across the country'. The latest audit of Australian ART facilities found 172 non-conformance reports (NCRs), but only one was 'major'. Other countries audited, including New Zealand, had higher rates of NCRs. Professor Jeremy Thompson, from the University of Adelaide, is the cofounder and chief scientific officer at Fertilis Pty Ltd. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion He said there is a global shortage of well-trained and experienced embryologists, so 'levels of training and experience can vary', and that it was a stressful job where 'skill and time management are critical for the best outcome'. But he said that 'Australia's reputation as a leader in embryology training and technique auditing is beyond question'. University of NSW associate professor Kuldip Sidhu, co-founder and director of CK Cell Technologies, said more rigorous compliance was needed in the industry. Embryologists are not currently registered under a national scheme, and doing this would 'help in adding another layer of responsibility to check such mishappenings in the IVF industry', he said. Dr Evie Kendal, a senior lecturer in health promotion at Swinburne University of Technology, said that with more human intervention in reproduction there was an increased potential for human error. 'Previous safeguards are clearly not up to the challenge of protecting clients against such incidents, and urgent ethical and policy guidance is needed to prevent such mistakes from occurring again,' she said. On Tuesday, Monash IVF told the ASX it would extend the review into the Queensland incident and start a new investigation into the Victorian one. Victorian health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, confirmed the Victorian health regulator was also investigating. She said Monash IVF's 'clinical governance standards are not where they should be'. Monash IVF said on Tuesday that as well as the investigations it would put extra verification processes and patient confirmation safeguards in place 'over and above normal practice and electronic witness systems, to ensure patients and clinicians have every confidence in its processes'.

Aussie experts put 20 popular sunscreens to the test - 16 FAILED to meet the SPF claims on their labels. Read the full list here
Aussie experts put 20 popular sunscreens to the test - 16 FAILED to meet the SPF claims on their labels. Read the full list here

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Aussie experts put 20 popular sunscreens to the test - 16 FAILED to meet the SPF claims on their labels. Read the full list here

Millions of Aussies may be unknowingly risking serious sun damage, with a shocking new investigation revealing that many of our most trusted sunscreen brands could be offering far less protection than they promise. Despite being drilled with the 'Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap' mantra from childhood, new lab testing shows that even diligent sunscreen-wearers may not be as sun-safe as they think. In an explosive investigation by consumer advocacy group CHOICE, 20 of the most popular sunscreens on Aussie shelves were put to the test - and only four lived up to their lofty SPF 50+ claims. That's right. Just four. The rest? A worrying number delivered SPF ratings as low as four, a far cry from the 50+ sun barrier they boldly advertise. In some cases, that's barely better than wearing nothing at all. 'Consumers expect sunscreen to protect them in line with the SPF rating on the product, but as our testing has shown, the SPF label doesn't always match what's in the bottle,' CHOICE's CEO Ashley de Silva said. Their latest sunscreen test, conducted in a certified lab, found that 16 out of 20 sunscreens failed to meet the protection level printed on their packaging. Some were off by more than 40 SPF points. Big names caught out included the Cancer Council, Neutrogena, Bondi Sands, Ultra Violette, Coles and Woolworths. Some of these widely sold products tested in the SPF 20s and 30s, despite being labelled as SPF 50+, a potentially dangerous discrepancy in a country with one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world. However, the most alarming was one of the most expensive sunscreens tested - Ultra Violette's Lean Screen SPF50+ which retails for $52. 'Despite doing rigorous testing of this sunscreen the first time, we were so perturbed by the results that we decided to delay publishing and test a different batch of the Ultra Violette sunscreen at a completely different lab in Germany to confirm the results,' CHOICE said in its report. 'Those results came back with a reported SPF of five, almost identical to our initial test.' However, Ultra Violette has disputed CHOICE's testing methodology and results, stating that it did not arbitrarily label its sunscreen SPF 50+ label but rather followed the guidelines set by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. 'We do not accept these results as even remotely accurate,' an Ultra Violette spokesperson said. 'Lean Screen contains 22.75 per cent zinc oxide, a level at which, when applied sufficiently, would render a testing result of SPF 4 scientifically impossible.' Of the 20 sunscreens tested, only four passed the SPF test - including Cancer Council Kids Sunscreen SPF 50+, which was found to have an actual SPF of 52. The surprising results of the 20 popular sunscreens tested Australian consumer watchdog CHOICE has tested 20 popular sunscreens, with 16 failing to meet the SPF50 protection claims on their labels. Of the 20 sunscreens tested, only four passed the SPF test: Cancer Council Kids Sunscreen SPF 50+ passed with a reported SPF of 52 La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin Sunscreen 50+ passed with a reported SPF of 72 Mecca Cosmetica To Save Body SPF 50+ Hydrating Sunscreen passed with a reported SPF of 51 Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Lotion SPF 50 passed with a reported SPF of 56 Sunscreens that failed the SPF test: SPF results in the 10s Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mattifying Zinc Skinscreen - tested at 4 SPF results in the 20s Aldi Ombra 50+ – tested at 26 Banana Boat Baby Zinc Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ – tested at 28 Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Zinc Mineral Body Lotion – tested at 26 Cancer Council Everyday Value Sunscreen 50 – tested at 27 Cancer Council Ultra Sunscreen 50+ – tested at 24 Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Lotion SPF 50 – tested at 24 Woolworths Sunscreen Everyday Tube SPF 50+ – tested at 27 SPF results in the 30s Banana Boat Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ – tested at 35 Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Sunscreen – tested at 32 Cancer Council Kids Clear Zinc 50+ – tested at 33 Invisible Zinc Face + Body Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 – tested at 38 SPF results in the 40s Coles SPF 50+ Sunscreen Ultra Tube – tested at 43 Nivea Sun Kids Ultra Protect and Play Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ – tested at 41 Nivea Sun Protect and Moisture Lock SPF 50+ Sunscreen – tested at 40 Sun Bum Premium Moisturising Sunscreen Lotion 50+ – tested at 40 Source: Choice Australia Australia is known for having some of the strictest sunscreen regulations in the world, ensuring safety, quality and efficacy - with all formulas required to be approved by the TGA. 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Chancellor unveils £6bn NHS funding after health-centred spending review
Chancellor unveils £6bn NHS funding after health-centred spending review

The Independent

time3 hours ago

  • The Independent

Chancellor unveils £6bn NHS funding after health-centred spending review

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