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Long COVID sidelining doctors and putting careers at risk, says alarming BMJ study

Doctors grappling with long COVID face significant career setbacks and inadequate workplace protection, according to a recent BMJ study. Co-founded by a doctor who contracted long COVID, advocacy group Long COVID Doctors for Action pushes for better support and recognition of the condition as an occupational disease.

21 Sep 2023

Doctors with long COVID deserve more support from the government and NHS

Doctors and other healthcare workers whose lives have been destroyed by long covid deserve more support from the government and NHS, reports The BMJ today.

21 Sep 2023

Engaging in hobbies boosts mental well-being for seniors, study finds

Researchers harmonize data from five longitudinal studies across 16 countries to reveal that engaging in hobbies is universally associated with better mental well-being among adults over 65. The study found less variance in mental health outcomes across countries, suggesting the pursuit of hobbies could be a global key to enhancing life satisfaction and reducing depression in older adults.

13 Sep 2023

Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants identified in the UK

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance and assessment technical briefing 53. It contains the latest epidemiological and genomic analysis of the emergent BA.2.86 variant.

8 Sep 2023

Blood clots may be a cause of long-term cognitive problems after COVID-19

High levels of two proteins at the time of COVID-19 have been found in patients who later experienced cognitive problems, including 'brain fog', giving a major clue as to one cause of their symptoms: blood clots.

7 Sep 2023

Study shows strong link between depression and inflammation in obese patients before and after bariatric surgery

Research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has shown that higher levels of inflammation in the blood of patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery predicts poorer weight loss six months after the procedure.

31 Aug 2023

Flu and COVID-19 vaccine programs to start earlier than planned in England

This year's autumn flu and COVID-19 vaccine programmes will start earlier than planned in England as a precautionary measure following the identification of a new COVID-19 variant.

30 Aug 2023

Could automated, saliva-based PCR testing be the future of COVID-19 surveillance?

In a large-scale study funded by Kings College London, researchers successfully implemented an automated PCR-based testing program for SARS-CoV-2 using saliva samples from asymptomatic students and staff. The system achieved 85% sensitivity and 100% specificity, provided rapid results within eight hours, and offered a cost-effective and scalable approach to community surveillance of COVID-19.

28 Aug 2023

Inflammatory diets raise dementia and Alzheimer's risk

This research study links higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores to an increased risk of developing dementia, specifically Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest that anti-inflammatory diets may offer a preventive strategy for dementia, underlining the need for further research to validate these associations.

28 Aug 2023

Study highlights the economic burden of cardiovascular diseases in the European Union

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) cost the EU an estimated €282 billion in 2021, according to late breaking research presented at ESC Congress 2023.

28 Aug 2023

Malaria vaccine and drug combination reduces hospitalizations, deaths in children

The final results of a landmark study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases confirm that the benefits of combining the RTS,S/AS01E (RTS,S) malaria vaccine with antimalarial drugs in settings of highly seasonal malaria transmission continue over five years.

22 Aug 2023

AI-powered eye scans could revolutionize early detection of Parkinson's

Markers that indicate the presence of Parkinson's disease in patients on average seven years before clinical presentation have been identified by a UCL and Moorfields Eye Hospital research team.

21 Aug 2023

DDNS technique could reduce the time to detect polio, study shows

A new study, 'Sensitive poliovirus detection using nested PCR and nanopore sequencing: a prospective validation study', published today (17 August 2023) in Nature Microbiology, proves that using DDNS to detect polio outbreaks can save public health authorities crucial time and money.

18 Aug 2023

Problematic social media use linked to depression symptoms

Receiving therapy for problematic social media use can be effective in improving the mental wellbeing of people with depression, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

11 Aug 2023

Illustrating the safety of a new drug treatment designed for spinal cord injury

New orally available drug for spinal cord injury found to be safe and tolerable in healthy participants.

11 Aug 2023

UKHSA unveils world-leading Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has today unveiled its world-leading Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC), which is building on its pandemic legacy and helping develop life-saving new vaccines for the UK and worldwide.

7 Aug 2023

Independent sector to help cut NHS waiting lists

Thirteen new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) - including eight independently run CDCs - are being launched across the country as part of government plans to use the independent sector to cut NHS waiting lists, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay will announce today.

3 Aug 2023

Analytical and clinical evaluation of antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests against the most encountered SARS-CoV-2 variants

A recent study has assessed the sensitivity of Ag-RDTs against the most prevalent BA.5 Omicron sub-lineage.

2 Aug 2023

New £3 million research unit seeks to tackle dementia

Funded by a £3 million grant from The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the DeNPRU will produce research on prevention, diagnosis and treatment, care service, and workforce needs.

1 Aug 2023

New COVID-19 vaccine from HIPRA Human Health approved by MHRA

Bimervax, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by HIPRA Human Health, has today been authorized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

1 Aug 2023