3 August 2020New 90-minute tests that can detect coronavirus and flu will be rolled out in hospitals and care homes from next week.The "on-the-spot" swab and DNA tests will help distinguish between Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses, the government said. The health secretary said this would be "hugely beneficial" over the winter.Currently, a third of tests take longer than 24 hours to process. The announcement comes as the government pushed back a July target to regularly test all care home staff and residents - a key move to identify so-called silent spreaders, those who are infected...…3 August 2020New 90-minute tests that can detect coronavirus and flu will be rolled out in hospitals and care homes from next week.The "on-the-spot" swab and DNA tests will help distinguish between Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses, the government said. The health secretary said this would be "hugely beneficial" over the winter.Currently, a third of tests take longer than 24 hours to process. The announcement comes as the government pushed back a July target to regularly test all care home staff and residents - a key move to identify so-called silent spreaders, those who are infected...WW…

Women say the uncertainty surrounding maternity services during the coronavirus outbreak is "making a stressful situation harder".Some NHS trusts are not allowing home births or partners on a ward following a birth, while others are.One trust only provides face-to-face postnatal support when it is "absolutely essential".The Royal College of Midwives says services may need to be reduced due to Covid-19. Like many areas in the health sector, staff shortages caused by sickness and workers self-isolating are impacting resources, the college adds.Nadia Hussein from Leeds is more than a week...…Women say the uncertainty surrounding maternity services during the coronavirus outbreak is "making a stressful situation harder".Some NHS trusts are not allowing home births or partners on a ward following a birth, while others are.One trust only provides face-to-face postnatal support when it is "absolutely essential".The Royal College of Midwives says services may need to be reduced due to Covid-19. Like many areas in the health sector, staff shortages caused by sickness and workers self-isolating are impacting resources, the college adds.Nadia Hussein from Leeds is more than a week...WW…

The infection rate in the UK has gone up and is close to the point where the virus starts spreading rapidly, government scientific advice says. The so-called "R-number" is now between 0.7 and 1.0 - it needs to be kept below one in order to stay in control. The rise in the figures is thought to be driven by the virus spreading in care homes and hospitals.The effect of announced by the prime minister on Sunday is still unknown.R is the number of people each infected person passes the virus on to, on average. If it is 2 then 10 infected people would pass it onto 20 others. But if is 0.5 then...…The infection rate in the UK has gone up and is close to the point where the virus starts spreading rapidly, government scientific advice says. The so-called "R-number" is now between 0.7 and 1.0 - it needs to be kept below one in order to stay in control. The rise in the figures is thought to be driven by the virus spreading in care homes and hospitals.The effect of announced by the prime minister on Sunday is still unknown.R is the number of people each infected person passes the virus on to, on average. If it is 2 then 10 infected people would pass it onto 20 others. But if is 0.5 then...WW…

The home secretary has said she is sorry if NHS staff feel there has been a failure to provide protective kit for those treating coronavirus patients. But Priti Patel said there were going to be problems during what she called an "unprecedented global pandemic". The British Medical Association earlier said that NHS staff were putting their lives at risk when treating patients.The health secretary said earlier that 19 NHS workers had died with coronavirus since the outbreak began. Speaking at Saturday's coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, the home secretary said: "I'm sorry if people...…The home secretary has said she is sorry if NHS staff feel there has been a failure to provide protective kit for those treating coronavirus patients. But Priti Patel said there were going to be problems during what she called an "unprecedented global pandemic". The British Medical Association earlier said that NHS staff were putting their lives at risk when treating patients.The health secretary said earlier that 19 NHS workers had died with coronavirus since the outbreak began. Speaking at Saturday's coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, the home secretary said: "I'm sorry if people...WW…

Lifting coronavirus lockdown measures too early could spark a "deadly resurgence" in infections, the World Health Organization chief has warned. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries should be cautious about easing restrictions, even as some struggle with the economic impact.Europe's worst hit countries, Spain and Italy, are both relaxing some measures, while their lockdowns continue.Globally there are 1.6 million cases of coronavirus and 101,000 deaths.Speaking at a virtual news conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros said there had been a "welcome slowing" of the epidemics in some European...…Lifting coronavirus lockdown measures too early could spark a "deadly resurgence" in infections, the World Health Organization chief has warned. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries should be cautious about easing restrictions, even as some struggle with the economic impact.Europe's worst hit countries, Spain and Italy, are both relaxing some measures, while their lockdowns continue.Globally there are 1.6 million cases of coronavirus and 101,000 deaths.Speaking at a virtual news conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros said there had been a "welcome slowing" of the epidemics in some European...WW…

New 90-minute tests that can detect coronavirus and flu will be rolled out in hospitals and care homes from next week.The "on-the-spot" swab and DNA tests will help distinguish between Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses, the government said. The health secretary said this would be "hugely beneficial" over the winter.Currently, a third of tests take longer than 24 hours to process. The announcement comes as the government pushed back a July target to regularly test all care home staff and residents - a key move to identify so-called silent spreaders, those who are infected but do not show...…New 90-minute tests that can detect coronavirus and flu will be rolled out in hospitals and care homes from next week.The "on-the-spot" swab and DNA tests will help distinguish between Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses, the government said. The health secretary said this would be "hugely beneficial" over the winter.Currently, a third of tests take longer than 24 hours to process. The announcement comes as the government pushed back a July target to regularly test all care home staff and residents - a key move to identify so-called silent spreaders, those who are infected but do not show...WW…

10 September 2020At least seven people have been killed in protests in Colombia as outrage spreads over the death of a man who was pinned to the ground and repeatedly tasered by police in Bogotá.Video of the incident shows 46-year-old Javier Ordóñez begging the officers to stop and telling them "I am choking". The officers were arresting him for allegedly breaking social distancing rules by drinking with friends.He was taken to a police station and later moved to hospital, where he died.At least seven people have died in the protests in the capital, Bogotá, in in nearby Soacha. Defense...…10 September 2020At least seven people have been killed in protests in Colombia as outrage spreads over the death of a man who was pinned to the ground and repeatedly tasered by police in Bogotá.Video of the incident shows 46-year-old Javier Ordóñez begging the officers to stop and telling them "I am choking". The officers were arresting him for allegedly breaking social distancing rules by drinking with friends.He was taken to a police station and later moved to hospital, where he died.At least seven people have died in the protests in the capital, Bogotá, in in nearby Soacha. Defense...WW…

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a deal to normalise relations, with Israel agreeing to suspend its controversial plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.In a surprise statement by US President Donald Trump, who helped broker it, the countries called the accord "historic" and a breakthrough toward peace. Until now Israel has had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries.But shared worries over Iran have led to unofficial contacts between them.Palestinian leaders were reportedly taken by surprise. A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounted to...…Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a deal to normalise relations, with Israel agreeing to suspend its controversial plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.In a surprise statement by US President Donald Trump, who helped broker it, the countries called the accord "historic" and a breakthrough toward peace. Until now Israel has had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries.But shared worries over Iran have led to unofficial contacts between them.Palestinian leaders were reportedly taken by surprise. A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounted to...WW…

Indigenous communities in the Amazon region and elsewhere in Brazil are in danger of being "wiped out" by the coronavirus, according to health experts. Respiratory illnesses - such as those that develop from the influenza virus - are already the main cause of death for native communities. By Sunday 5 April, Brazil had reported more than 11,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 486 deaths. Infections were initially concentrated in the industrialized state of São Paulo. However, they have now spread across the country, including to indigenous territories in the Amazon basin that are the size of...…Indigenous communities in the Amazon region and elsewhere in Brazil are in danger of being "wiped out" by the coronavirus, according to health experts. Respiratory illnesses - such as those that develop from the influenza virus - are already the main cause of death for native communities. By Sunday 5 April, Brazil had reported more than 11,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 486 deaths. Infections were initially concentrated in the industrialized state of São Paulo. However, they have now spread across the country, including to indigenous territories in the Amazon basin that are the size of...WW…

As the death toll from coronavirus continues to climb, hospitals across the UK are working flat out to create more intensive care beds for those who are critically ill. Speaking to the BBC, one intensive care doctor describes the crippling reality of a lack of support and equipment faced by some health-care workers in England. Several healthcare workers in England have told the BBC of a lack of equipment in their hospitals. Warned against speaking to the media, they were unwilling to talk publicly. However, one intensive care doctor from the Midlands wanted to go on record. The BBC agreed...…As the death toll from coronavirus continues to climb, hospitals across the UK are working flat out to create more intensive care beds for those who are critically ill. Speaking to the BBC, one intensive care doctor describes the crippling reality of a lack of support and equipment faced by some health-care workers in England. Several healthcare workers in England have told the BBC of a lack of equipment in their hospitals. Warned against speaking to the media, they were unwilling to talk publicly. However, one intensive care doctor from the Midlands wanted to go on record. The BBC agreed...WW…