Professor Ben Colburn and Dr Joseph Millum Latest News
Professor Ben Colburn, of the University of Glasgow, is the author of Moral Blackmail and other studies on end-of-life ethics. Dr Joseph Millum, of the University of St Andrews, is the co-author, with David DeGrazia, of A Theory of Bioethics and a consultant to the World Health Organisation. They are members of the Philosophers Consortium on Assisted Dying in Scotland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
New Covid variant 'under monitoring' after spike in cases and hospitalisations
First identified in January, NB. 1.8.1 is spreading quickly across multiple countries, leading to an increase in cases and hospitalisations, the World Health Organisation said A new coronavirus variant has been labelled as "under monitoring" by the World Health Organisation following a spike in cases and hospitalisations. First identified on January 22 2025, NB. 1.8.1 is a derivative of the Omicron strain. The variant is causing concern among health experts after being identified in multiple countries including popular holiday destinations like Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives. The WHO has warned that the new strain is now responsible for more than 10 per cent of all infections and is already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China. The Centre of Disease Control (CDC) in the US has also identified cases in a number of states including New York, California, Arizona, Ohio, Washington, and Rhode Island. Despite saying that the variant is currently being monitored, WHO said in their report that the current risk to the public is deemed to be low - and currently approved vaccines are expected to "remain effective to this variant against symptomatic and severe disease." WHO said that despite an increase in cases and hospitalisations, currently there is no indication that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation. Even though NB.1.8.1 has been found in popular holiday destinations, the WHO says there is no need for travel or trade restrictions at this time, Wales Online reports. The organisation urges countries to stay alert and adjust their responses as needed, but does not recommend closing borders or limiting travel. The official report states: "WHO recommends that countries remain vigilant, adapt to evolving epidemiological trends, and leverage Covid-19 management strategies to strengthen systems for all respiratory disease threats. Member States should continue offering Covid-19 vaccines in line with WHO recommendations." Health experts at the CDC say that symptoms may vary in accordance with the variant, however they will likely be similar to the typical symptoms of Covid-19. These include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea. This week, Lara Herrero Associate Professor and Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease at Griffith University, said that thanks to multiple mutations, the new strain "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains." Professor Herrero explained: "It's possible a person infected with NB.1.8.1 may be more likely to pass the virus on to someone else, compared to earlier variants. The evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and may partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination. These factors could explain its rise in sequencing data. "But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants. Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." The WHO report reads: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected."
Sky News
a day ago
- Sky News
Last hospital in northern Gaza out of service after evacuation
The last working hospital in northern Gaza is no longer functional according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) - a day after staff reported Israeli troops had surrounded the site. The WHO said Al-Awda Hospital went out of service on Thursday, and patients and health workers evacuated the same evening for fear of their safety. It said that the hospital's closure is "severing a critical lifeline for the people" in northern Gaza, and pleaded "for the hospital's protection and staff and patients' safety". Israeli authorities issued evacuation orders last week for large parts of northern Gaza ahead of offensives against Hamas, although the army did not order the hospital itself to evacuate. Dr Rami al Ashrafi told the Associated Press on Thursday that Al-Awda Hospital had been encircled by Israeli troops and had come under fire in recent days. 0:21 Gaza situation 'worst since war began' - UN It comes as the United Nations said on Friday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is the worst since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023 - despite a resumption in aid deliveries. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that while "any aid that gets into the hands of people who need it is good," the deliveries have so far had "very, very little impact". He added: "The catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst since the war began." The UN and other international aid groups have refused to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) - supported by Israel and the US - as they claim it is not neutral and forces the displacement of Palestinians by its distribution of aid. 0:32 As of Friday, GHF said that it has managed to distribute more than 2.1 million meals. Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon said this week it would allow aid deliveries from both GHF and the UN's operations. Meanwhile, Hamas said it was still reviewing a US-proposed ceasefire a day after the White House said Israel accepted the offer. US President Donald Trump said in Washington that both sides were "very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we'll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow". The proposal reportedly calls for a 60-day pause in fighting, and the release of nine living hostages and half of the known hostages who have died, over the course of a week. Israel and Hamas would then continue talks to bring the remaining hostages home, but Israel would retain the right to resume military action in Gaza if talks were to break down. According to Reuters, some 28 Israeli hostages - alive and dead - would be returned in the first week of the ceasefire, in exchange for 125 Palestinian prisoners sentenced for life and the remains of 180 dead.
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Everything we know about the new Covid NB.1.8.1 subvariant hitting Europe and its key symptoms
Everything we know about the new Covid NB.1.8.1 subvariant hitting Europe and its key symptoms The World Health Organisation is closely monitoring a new variant that has been detected in multiple countries A new variant of COVID-19 has been detected in multiple countries A new COVID-19 variant called NB.1.8.1 is drawing global attention after a spike in cases across multiple countries, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to classify it as a "variant under monitoring". While the overall health risk is reportedly low, experts are watching closely as some areas have seen rising infections and hospitalisations where the variant has been detected. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here What is NB.1.8.1? NB. 1.8.1 is a version of the Omicron variant. WHO reported that the first known case of NB.18.1 was identified on January 22, 2025. However, as of May 18, the variant has been found in 22 countries, with 518 genetic sequences submitted to the global tracking system (GISAID). It now accounts for 10% of all reported COVID-19 cases globally; a significant increase from the 2.5% reported just four weeks earlier. NB 1.8.1 has already established itself as the main variant in Hong Kong and China. It has also been detected in other regions, with confirmed cased in the eastern Mediterranean, including popular travel destinations like Egypt, as well as parts of South East Asia, such as Thailand and the Maldives. Further to this, the Centre of Disease Control (CDC) has also reported cases in the US, with traces to New York, California, Arizona, Ohio, Washington and Rhode Island. Are there cases in Wales? So far this year, the most common variants in Wales have been the XEC variants, which include XEC.2 and XEC.4. These have accounted for between 20% and 70% of all samples sequenced in Wales each week since December last year. Other variants frequently seen include the KP.2 variant that was widespread in December last year, the LF.7 variant seen in low numbers throughout the year and the MC variants, which include the MC.10, MC.13 and MC.1 subvariants. There have been cases of NB.1 that have been sequenced in Wales however these have only been found a small number of times in three weeks out the last 21. Should I be worried? So far, the WHO says that the global health risk from NB.1.8.1 is low. While some countries are seeing more hospital visits linked to the variant, there is no evidence that it causes more severe illnesses than recent variants. Am I protected? Yes. According to the WHO, the currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to protect people against this variant, especially when it comes to preventing serious illness and symptoms. Are there any travel restrictions? Even though NB.1.8.1 has been found in popular holiday destinations, the WHO says there is no need for travel or trade restrictions at this time. The organisation urges countries to stay alert and adjust their responses as needed, but does not recommend closing borders or limiting travel. The official report states: "WHO recommends that countries remain vigilant, adapt to evolving epidemiological trends, and leverage COVID-19 management strategies to strengthen systems for all respiratory disease threats. Member States should continue offering COVID-19 vaccines in line with WHO recommendations." What are the symptoms? Health experts at the CDC say that symptoms may vary in accordance with the variant, however they will likely be similar to the typical symptoms of COVID-19. This includes: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Sore throat Congestion or runny nose New loss of taste or smell Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache Nausea or vomiting Diarrhoea What can I do? If you are experiencing COVID symptoms, the NHS has issued simple steps you can take to help protect yourself and others: Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day the test was taken if you or your child are under 18 years old – children and young people tend to be infectious for less time than adults Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took your test if you are 18 years old or over Avoid meeting people who are more likely to get seriously ill from infections, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day you took your test Article continues below
