What do the new SARS-CoV-2 mutations mean, and how should we track them […]
Guest writers
Is asymptomatic transmission in young people driving the current wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic?
By early December 2020 it became apparent that the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in the south east of England was growing fast and particularly among young people. [1] This rapid growth coincided […]
Covid-19 must be a tipping point for tackling inequalities
On 20 January, Priti Patel warned against hesitancy towards the covid-19 vaccine among ethnic minority groups and said that it is “safe for us all,” after reports that misinformation about […]
Ian Hamilton: Alcohol related deaths are on the rise, but we remain a nation in denial
The UK is stuck in a deadly catch-22 where access to help for alcohol addiction is harder, while people drinking at hazardous levels have increased their consumption, writes Ian Hamilton […]
Housing asylum seekers in disused army barracks puts them at risk of covid-19
The covid-19 pandemic has brought particular challenges for people seeking asylum in the UK. Already with poor health outcomes, torture survivors’ and other asylum seekers’ vulnerability to covid-19 is increased, […]
Israel’s vaccination rollout: short term success, but questions for the long run
As the pace of the race to the vaccine becomes less salient, equal access to vaccines will become a more prominent issue […]
What can we learn from the great literature of pandemics and pestilences
Throughout centuries, illness, death, and fear resulting from epidemics and pandemics have played a major role in the history of humankind. In additional to historical records of these events, we […]
Challenging gender bias in research
The standard use of the caucasian male as a universal subject in medical research is no longer ethically, scientifically, and socially plausible, say Olaya Madrid Pascual and colleagues […]
A patient safety commissioner—why we need a new voice for all harmed patients
The “First Do No Harm” report was published in July 2020. The review, chaired by Baroness Cumberlege, looked at patient safety issues arising from the use of Primodos (a home […]
Sara Rotenberg: We need equitable access to the covid-19 vaccine for disabled people
Disabled people have been significantly impacted by the covid-19 pandemic. Evidence from the UK suggests that 59% of all covid-19 deaths were disabled people, a death rate two to three […]