Health BLOG | belfairs-pharmacy

Coronavirus: Thousands of cancer ops at 'Covid-free' hubs

Thousands of cancer patients will be operated on at new centres designed to be kept clear of coronavirus. The regional "virus-free" centres have been set up in 21 areas of England to carry out urgent surgery during the pandemic. Trusts have been told all essential cancer treatments must continue despite the NHS focus on coronavirus. But it is estimated cancer referrals have dropped by about 70%. A survey by NHS England of 1,000 people found a third were worried about seeking help from their GP. Top reasons included fear of catching coronavirus, giving it to family members, and being a burden on the health service. Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex, is the first such desi

Coronavirus alert: Rare syndrome seen in UK children

NHS doctors have been warned to look out for a rare but dangerous reaction in children that may be linked to coronavirus infection. An urgent alert sent out to GPs said that intensive care departments in London and other parts of the UK have been treating severely sick children with unusual symptoms. This includes "multi-system inflammation" with flu-like symptoms. Some, but not all, tested positive for coronavirus. It is unclear how many children have experienced the reaction, although the numbers will be low. NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said they had become aware of reports of rare, severe illness in children. "It's only in the last few days that we have seen those reports.

Coronavirus: First patients injected in UK vaccine trial

The first human trial in Europe of a coronavirus vaccine has begun in Oxford. Two volunteers were injected, the first of more than 800 people recruited for the study. Half will receive the Covid-19 vaccine, and half a control vaccine which protects against meningitis but not coronavirus. The design of the trial means volunteers will not know which vaccine they are getting, though doctors will. Elisa Granato, one of the two who received the jab, told the BBC: "I'm a scientist, so I wanted to try to support the scientific process wherever I can." The vaccine was developed in under three months by a team at Oxford University. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the Jenner Institute, led

Coronavirus: What it does to the body

The coronavirus emerged in only December last year, but already the world is dealing with a pandemic of the virus and the disease it causes - Covid-19. For most, the disease is mild, but some people die. So how is the virus attacking the body, why are some people being killed and how is it treated? Incubation period This is when the virus is establishing itself. Viruses work by getting inside the cells your body is made of and then hijacking them. The coronavirus, officially called Sars-CoV-2, can invade your body when you breathe it in (after someone coughs nearby) or you touch a contaminated surface and then your face. It first infects the cells lining your throat, airways and lungs and tu

Coronavirus: Significant social distancing needed 'until vaccine found'

The UK must keep a "significant level" of social distancing until a vaccine for coronavirus is found, a scientist advising the government has said. Prof Neil Ferguson told the BBC there was "little leeway" to relax measures without "something... in their place" - such as testing and contact tracing. A three-week extension to the lockdown is expected to be announced later. It comes as the UK recorded another 861 coronavirus deaths, taking the total number of hospital deaths to 13,729. Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced strict curbs on life in the UK on 23 March, as the government sought to limit the spread of the virus. Ministers are required by law to assess whether the rules are workin