Five die with Arcturus variant in UK as strain spreads globally

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Five people who had the Arcturus strain of Covid have died, according to the latest data from public health chiefs. As of 17 April there were 105 cases of XBB.1.16 – also known as Arcturus – in England, with infections located in all regions apart from the North East. Health chiefs have said that there […]

Catching Omicron variant ‘does NOT provide immunity from reinfection’, scientists reveal – saying it helps explain the continued rise in cases

New Variant of the Covid-19 Omicron

Covid sufferers who caught the Omicron variant will not be protected from catching it again, according to scientists at Imperial College London. The investigators say Omicron and its evolutions could explain why Covid cases remain higher than predicted in the UK. Earlier studies found that past illnesses with Covid provided some immunity against re-infection – […]

I dodged Covid but caught monkeypox’: a Londoner’s surreal ordeal

Flag of the United Kingdom with biohazrd warning

George avoided Covid during the pandemic, but then became one of the first UK cases of monkeypox virus after he developed strange symptoms As the black, scabby lesion grew, George turned to Google. The 29-year-old was unnerved by the wart-like spot; as a healthcare worker he had “seen quite a bit”, but this was unlike […]

New Covid variant with 46 mutations worries experts in France

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IHU: New Covid variant with 46 mutations worries experts in France So far, 12 people have been infected with the new variant While the world is grappling with the highly infectious Omicron, strain of Covid, scientists in France have identified a potentially worrying new variant, which has 46 mutations. Named IHU, the new B.1.640.2 variant has so far infected 12 […]

Covid: Which countries are vaccinating children and why?

Covid 19 Vaccination

What’s happening in Europe? In May, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds. Since then, different EU countries have moved at different speeds. Denmark (12 to 15-year-olds) and Spain (12 to 19-year-olds) have both now vaccinated most of their child population with at least a single dose. France too has been moving quickly […]

Delta’s surprise U.K. comeback is a warning sign for the U.S.

National Covid Memorial Wall

When it comes to COVID-19, what happens in the United Kingdom rarely stays in the United Kingdom — and that, in turn, rarely bodes well for the rest of the world. Again and again, the U.K. has previewed the next unwelcome phase of the pandemic. The highly transmissible Alpha variant was first identified in Kent. […]