Latest news with #MichaelHead
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
New Covid variant sparks face mask alert after 'stay at home' warning
Covid new variant NB.1.8.1 has been confirmed in the UK for the first time, after spreading around the world - and it could have an "evolutionary advantage" that might trigger a return to face masks, an expert claims A new Covid variant could spark a return to face masks if cases continue to rise, a doctor has revealed. The NB.1.8.1 variant has continued to rise across the world, and 13 cases have been found in England since January, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed. The coronavirus mutation appeared to have an "evolutionary advantage" compared with previous variants, according to the University of Southampton's Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, Dr Michael Head. If cases of NB.1.8.1 continue to rise across the UK, it could spark some governmental policy changes to slow the curve, he warned - including a return of face masks in some settings, including hospitals. Dr Head told the Mirror: "The changing patterns of COVID-19 infections shows us that new dominant strains tend to be easier to transmit that previous variants. This factor gives that variant an evolutionary advantage and thus an opportunity to be commonly detected in surveillance systems. "Vaccines continue to be extremely important in protecting populations who are especially vulnerable to severe illness, including the elderly and pregnant women. The existing COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue to provide extremely high protection against severe disease and to greatly reduce mortality." The NB.1.8.1 coronavirus strain first appeared on January 21, and by late April 2025 it was counting for around 10.7 percent of all global infections – up from just 2.5 percent four weeks previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. While all the various Covid-19 strains cause similar symptoms, NB.1.8.1 may be more transmissible than previous variants - though the WHO stressed it didn't appear to cause worse symptoms or more serious illness. At least 13 cases have already been confirmed in England, according to UKHSA data from PCR-positive Covid samples, with a further seven in Northern Ireland. The latest UKHSA data shows Covid-19 activity increased slightly in England between May 26 and June 1. Weekly hospital admissions from the virus slightly increased to 1.49 per 100,000 patients, compared with 1.40 per 100,000 in the previous week. UKHSA Deputy Director Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam said: "It is normal for viruses to mutate and change over time. UKHSA is monitoring all available data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants in the UK and abroad, and we continue to publish our findings in our regular Flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports. "NB.1.8.1 has been detected in small numbers in the UK to date, but international data suggests that it is growing as a proportion of all COVID-19 cases. Based on the available information so far however, there is no evidence to suggest that this variant causes more severe disease than previous variants, or that the vaccines in current use will be less effective against it." Those with Covid symptoms have been urged to "stay at home" by top health officials. UKHSA advised people with a high temperature, or who do not feel well enough to go to work, school, provide childcare or do normal activities, to "avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible". Covid symptoms
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Deadly virus found in UK for first time as public sent major warning
Deadly West Nile virus has been detected in UK mosquitoes for the very first time, and cases will "almost certainly" continue to rise over the next few decades, it's been claimed West Nile virus was spotted in the UK for the very first time this week, and an expert has revealed the risk to the wider public will continue to grow. The virus is a disease that's spread in mosquitoes, and is genetically similar to the more common dengue fever and yellow fever. It generally causes a mild fever, but it can spark some serious complications - and even death. Scientists detected West Nile virus in UK mosquitoes that were collected in July 2023, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed yesterday. It's endemic across the world - including in southern Europe and Africa - but it's not been found in British mosquitoes until now. There have, however, been seven cases of travel-associated human patients since the year 2000. Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus are likely to become more abdundant in the UK as the climate gets warmer, according to the University of Southampton's Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, Dr Michael Head. When there's most mosquitoes carrying the virus, it naturally raises the risk to the British public, he warned. Dr Head told the Mirror: "The West Nile Virus disease is typically a mild fever, but in around 1 percent of cases can turn into a nasty infection, causing neurological consequences and possibly death. The news of West Nile being present in UK mosquitoes is, to be honest, not that surprising. Mosquito-related viruses, such as dengue and also West Nile, have been present across Europe for decades. Parts of Italy see around 100 West Nile cases per year. "Climate change is supporting the migration of mosquitoes, and with that comes a higher risk of new and emerging infections, such as West Nile Virus. Whilst the threat to the public right now is extremely low, that will almost certainly rise over the next few decades." The UKHSA said the risk to the public was "very low" after the virus was found in mosquitoes. But, the detection would help scientists to prepare for any potential threats. Dr Meera Chand, UKHSA Deputy Director for travel health, zoonoses, emerging infections, respiratory and tuberculosis, said: "While this is the first detection of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes in the UK so far, it is not unexpected as the virus is already widespread in Europe. "The risk to the general public is currently assessed as very low. Vector research of this kind is designed to give us early warning of potential threats so that we can enhance our disease surveillance and control activities and ensure patients receive appropriate testing." Most people with West Nile virus don't show any symptoms at all, according to the World Health Organization. But, in 20% of all patients, it can lead to a condition known as West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease. The most common symptoms of West Nile fever include headaches, body aches, a high fever, vomiting, and a skin rash on the trunk of the body. In more severe patients, it could lead to convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, and even coma.
Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Shack review — a night of shimmering, glimmering guitar pop
St Luke's, a converted church once gutted by fire, is an appropriate place in which to see Shack, the Liverpool band whose beloved album Waterpistol was once thought lost in a studio blaze. Such stories, and a certain against-all-odds spirit, helps to explain why the group attract worshippers more than fans. Well, that and Michael Head's songs, which — as this Glasgow show proved — are often divine. Although Shack never formally split, this short tour marks their first shows in 15 years. Support had come from another master songwriter: Gerard Love, formerly of Teenage Fanclub, whose own time in the wilderness seems to be coming to an end. His TFC classics — in particular, a lovely, lullabying version of Star Sign — were greeted
Euronews
14-03-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Europe reports highest number of measles cases in over 25 years
Europe saw the highest number of measles cases in more than 25 years in 2024, with more than 120,000 cases reported in the region. That figure was double the number of cases in 2023, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. Measles cases in the European region, which includes parts of Central Asia, have been "generally declining" in Europe since a peak in 1997 with 216,000 cases, WHO and UNICEF said. There was a low of 4,440 cases in 2016. UNICEF said that about 40 per cent of measles infections in Europe and Central Asia were in children under 5 and that more than half of all people sickened by measles had to be hospitalised. Measles is among the world's most infectious diseases and is spread by an airborne virus. Two doses of the measles vaccine are estimated to be 97 per cent effective in preventing the disease, which typically infects the respiratory system and causes symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash. In serious cases, measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, dehydration, and blindness. "Measles is back, and it's a wake-up call," Dr Hans Kluge, WHO's Europe director, said in a statement. "Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security," he added. Romania had the most measles infections, at more than 30,000, followed by Kazakhstan, which reported 28,147 people with measles. WHO and UNICEF noted that in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, fewer than 70 per cent and 50 per cent of children in those countries respectively have been vaccinated against measles for at least the past five years. Scientists estimate that more than 95 per cent of the population needs to be immunised to prevent outbreaks. "Measles is pretty much completely vaccine-preventable. Two doses of the measles vaccines prevent infection, illness, and thus transmission," said Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton in the UK. "With a high global uptake, the world could eradicate this disease. However, measles is incredibly infectious, more so than for example the COVID-19 variants. With even slight declines in vaccine uptake, outbreaks are inevitable," he added in a statement. After a drop in immunisation coverage during the coronavirus pandemic, measles cases surged in 2023 and 2024, with vaccination rates in numerous countries still lower than what they were before COVID-19 hit. People who retire abroad are lonelier than those who live out their golden years in their home countries, a new study from the Netherlands suggests. Moving to a new country in old age can be appealing for many reasons – a better quality of life, lower cost of living, or just enjoying the sun year-round. But it can also mean dealing with a new bureaucratic system, language, and building a social life from scratch. That could take a toll – and come with health consequences. Older people are particularly vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation, which raise the risk of depression, heart disease, and cognitive decline. 'Migrating abroad around the age of retirement may seem like a fun thing to do,' Esma Betül Savaş, the new study's lead author and a researcher at the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, told Euronews Health. 'But it's also important to consider, before moving, the impacts that migrating may have in your life'. The analysis, published in the journal Psychology and Aging, looked at two types of loneliness: social loneliness, which is due to a lack of a social network or sense of community, and emotional loneliness from not having intimate ties, like a romantic partner. The study included about 5,000 Dutch people who were 65 or older and had moved to a new country after they were 50, as well as about 1,300 Dutch retirees who lived in the Netherlands. People who retired abroad were more likely than those who stayed in the Netherlands to be socially lonely – but they were not at higher risk of emotional loneliness, the study found. 'They are fulfilled in this intimate connection, but then their broader social network is interrupted,' Savaş said. 'We see that they are not satisfied with their social network now in the destination [country], more so than non-migrants'. That seems to be the result of how strong their ties were in the Netherlands, and how well they adjusted to their adopted homeland. For example, immigrants who had lost contact with their children or good friends in the Netherlands were lonelier. Meanwhile, those who felt a sense of belonging in their new homes and were in touch with their neighbours were less likely to be lonely. 'We know that moving to a new country, especially at an older age, not all of them know the destination language,' she said. 'They may be establishing a network but that might not be as strong as the network they built over the years' at home. The new findings underscore that loneliness is about more than a lack of social connections. It's also about the strength of people's relationships, Savaş said. In other words, it's quality over quantity. Notably, retirees who moved abroad were more likely to have romantic partners than people who stayed in the Netherlands, the study found. They also tended to be healthier and wealthier, factors that can protect against loneliness. That made the new findings more surprising. Who chooses to move abroad for retirement – and how far away they move – could also play a role. People who retire abroad are more likely to be adventurous and identify with hippie culture than those who stay in the Netherlands, according to prior research from the same team. Single Dutch men are also more likely than couples to retire in countries like Thailand and the Philippines. In the new study, older people who moved further from the Netherlands were more likely to be emotionally lonely, which could reflect that lack of partnership, Savaş said. Ultimately, Savaş said older adults considering a move abroad – whether from the Netherlands, Greece, or anywhere else – should try to stay connected with longtime friends and family while they form deeper connections in their new home. It doesn't hurt to take the plunge with a partner, either. Loneliness, she said, isn't just about being single or having an empty social calendar. It's about a mismatch between the relationships we want and the relationships we have. 'It's about expectations, at the end of the day,' she said.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Disease Spreading Rapidly, Killing Dozens, After Children Ate a Bat
A mysterious illness is spreading in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. As the Associated Press reports, World Health Organization doctors say that the illness has already led to 419 cases, including 53 deaths, since the latest outbreak began on January 21. A particularly harrowing detail: in the majority of cases, doctors say, death occurs within just 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. While researchers are still trying to get a grasp on the situation, the WHO's Africa office has traced back the first outbreak in the town of Boloko after three children ate a bat carcass and died within two days, according to the AP. The children died after bleeding from the nose and vomiting blood. The outbreak is frightening on its own, but also echoes the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, which is believed to have jumped from bats to humans in China before spreading worldwide and causing millions of deaths. According to the WHO, the still-unnamed illness poses a "significant public health threat" with a fatality rate of 12.3 percent. Lab tests of samples confirmed the illness was unrelated to other common hemorrhagic fever diseases such as Ebola and Marburg. It's an unfortunate new development for the Central African nation. In December, a previous outbreak in the southwest of the DRC was later traced back to "acute respiratory infections complicated by malaria," according to the WHO. The nation has also been battling a major outbreak of Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. Officials are worried that current political instability in the country's east could lead to an undercount of cases. Mpox is a virus that can cause painful blisters and prove fatal in some cases. Following a global outbreak in 2022 and 2023, much of the African continent, including the DRC, is still fighting the virus. Following the latest outbreak of the unknown illness, officials are trying to reassure the public that it's extremely unlikely that the latest illness will trigger the next global pandemic. "A genuinely new illness, as we saw with COVID-19, of course can happen but is very rare," University of Southampton senior research fellow Michael Head told the Washington Post. "Usually, it's a bug... that we know about but haven't yet diagnosed in that particular outbreak." "Typically, such outbreaks are brought under control relatively quickly," he added. "However, here, it is concerning that we have hundreds of cases and over 50 deaths, with hemorrhagic-fever like symptoms widely reported among those cases." More on mysterious illnesses: Mysterious Disease Outbreak Has Already Killed Dozens
