March - 2020

Coronavirus: Advice for people with health conditions

Coronavirus can affect anyone, but people with pre-existing health problems and older people are thought to be at greater risk of developing severe symptoms. If you have a long-term health condition you may be feeling anxious. So here's what experts are advising. Who is at risk? Having a health condition does not make you more likely than anyone else to come into contact with coronavirus. But it appears people who are older, those with weakened immune systems and people who h

Coronavirus: How long can I exercise for each day? And other questions

The UK government has introduced strict new measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus. Here are the answers to some of the most common readers' questions. Is there a time limit on how long we can be outside for once-a-day exercise, and are we allowed to get in our car to travel to go for a walk? The current government guidance is to take "one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk or cycle - alone or with members of your household". No mention is given to the

Coronavirus: Young people are not ‘invincible’, WHO warns

Young people are not immune from coronavirus and must avoid socialising and communicating it to older, more vulnerable people, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. The choices made by the young can be "the difference between life and death for someone else", WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Over 11,000 patients have died from the Covid-19 respiratory illness worldwide. Nearly 250,000 patients have tested positive overall. The WHO chief's remark

Why you shouldn't trust 'Dr Google'

With GP appointments hard to come by and the internet just a click away, many turn to “Dr Google” when feeling under the weather. Millions of people look up everything from depression and pneumonia to diabetes and endometriosis on the search engine every month, statistics show. While it may seem a time saver, a harmless headache could easily be mistaken for a brain tumour, while chest pain could be confused for breast cancer. One doctor worries the rise of so-called cyberchon