October - 2020

Flu jab 'essential' for pregnant women this winter

All pregnant women are being advised to get a flu jab as soon as possible to protect their babies and themselves. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and Royal College of Midwives (RCM) say the free vaccination is particularly important this year because of Covid-19. Influenza is dangerous to people who are pregnant and can be deadly. Health experts are also concerned a combined outbreak of coronavirus and flu could overwhelm health services. Why shou

Superdrug now prescribes PrEP online to protect against HIV

Superdrug is the first UK high street pharmacy to offer pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication to protect at-risk people against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). On 25 September, the Department of Health announced PrEP will be available at sexual health clinics throughout England. Off the back of this announcement, Superdrug now offers a UK-wide PrEP service via its Online Doctor clinic, enabling people without access to in-person sexual health centres to “more eas

Coronavirus in winter: 'This time of year is harder than lockdown'

Full lockdown is over - but so is summer. As the days get shorter, darker and the temperature drops below acceptable BBQ conditions, we're all slowly realising our lives are going to be very restricted for months to come. Just from talking to people, it feels many are finding this bit harder than full lockdown - the inability to plan, the uncertainty of what's to come, the very real lack of fun - to simply not knowing if you'll be able to see your mum at Christmas. In short,

Six ways social media negatively affects your mental health

The rise of social media has meant that people are more connected than we have ever been in the history of time. But our reliance on social media can have a detrimental effect on our mental health, with the average Brit checking their phone as much as 28 times a day. While social media platforms can have their benefits, using them too frequently can make you feel increasingly unhappy and isolated in the long run. The constant barrage of perfectly filtered photos that appear o

Coronavirus: Should I start taking vitamin D?

There are mounting questions about whether vitamin D can help fight coronavirus. The Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition and the health watchdog the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have done a rapid review of the evidence. What is the advice? With more people staying indoors during the pandemic, some may have been deprived of vitamin D. Normally, many of us get it by spending time outside. Our skin makes it when exposed to the sun. The NHS says

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