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PrEP: Preventative HIV drug available in England from April

A drug that prevents the transmission of the HIV virus will be available in England from April, the Department of Health has confirmed. PrEP - or pre-exposure prophylaxis - is an antiretroviral medicine which, taken once a day, stops the transmission of HIV during unprotected sex. The pill is already available in Scotland and Wales to people at risk of contracting the virus. It is estimated there are about 103,800 people living with HIV in the UK. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the roll-out of the drug in England would eliminate new HIV infections within 10 years. NHS England will pay for the drug. The cost is estimated to likely be much less than the lifetime bill for treating those who already carry the virus. The Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity that supports those living with HIV, estimates that about 7% of the roughly 103,800 people living with the virus in the UK do not know they are HIV positive. Ian Green, Chief Executive at the Terrence Higgins Trust, described ...
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Coronavirus: Some scientists say UK virus strategy is 'risking lives'

Architects of the UK's nuanced approach: Sir Patrick Vallance (left) and Prof Chris Whitty (right) More than 200 scientists have written to the government urging them to introduce tougher measures to tackle the spread of Covid-19. In an open letter, the 229 specialists in disciplines ranging from mathematics to genetics - though no leading experts in the science of the spread of diseases - say the UK's current approach will put the NHS under additional stress and "risk many more lives than necessary". The signatories also criticised comments made by Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, about managing the spread of the infection to make the population immune. The Department of Health said Sir Patrick's comments had been misinterpreted. The scientists - all from UK universities - also questioned the government's view that people would become fed up with restrictions if they were imposed too soon. Their letter was published ...
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Coronavirus: GPs prepare for NHS's 'biggest crisis'

"I want the right equipment to protect myself," says Dr Jane Wheatley As coronavirus spreads widely across the UK, many of those who fall sick may seek treatment at their GP's surgery. Are family doctors ready to deal with a wave of patients, prevent the spread of the disease and protect the most vulnerable? According to the tests carried out so far, there are hardly any diagnosed patients with Covid-19 in the neighbourhood of Dr Jane Wheatley's north London surgery. In reality she believes there are likely to be many people with the coronavirus out there - and the government agrees, estimating the true extent of the infection nationwide at between 5,000 to 10,000 cases as of Friday. With testing not available for every patient, it's hard to be sure. She says: "We know there is community transmission. Obviously we can't tell which patients have the normal influenza virus or a cold and which ones have the Covid-19 disease. We can't distinguish ...
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Coronavirus: US volunteers test first vaccine

The first human trial of a vaccine to protect against pandemic coronavirus has started in the US. Four patients received the jab at the Kaiser Permanente research facility in Seattle, Washington, reports the Associated Press news agency. The vaccine cannot cause Covid-19 but contains a harmless genetic code copied from the virus that causes the disease. Experts say it will still take many months to know if this vaccine, or others also in research, will work. The first person to get the jab on Monday was a 43-year-old mother-of-two from Seattle. "This is an amazing opportunity for me to do something," Jennifer Haller told AP. Scientists around the world are fast-tracking research. And this first human trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health, sidesteps a check that would normally be conducted - making sure the vaccine can trigger an immune response in animals. But the biotechnology company behind the work, Moderna Therapeutics, says the vaccine has been mad...
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Coronavirus: What is the UK advice?

Coronavirus is spreading in the UK and a major epidemic is expected. A worst case scenario could see 80% of people infected if nothing is done. On Monday, Prime Minster Boris Johnson announced significant new measures: The government says its previous advice also remains, everyone should regularly wash their hands and avoid contacting the NHS unless it's essential. These measures, according to the government, will delay the spread of the epidemic so that the NHS can cope with demand and save lives. The government has other powers it could use to protect people from infection: Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have the power to make some of their own decisions. For example, Scotland has issued official advice to cancel gatherings of more than 500 people. Northern Ireland has said that when schools close it will be for at least 16 weeks. Up to one in five UK workers could be off sick during a major outbreak, the government says. It thinks there could be more deaths, esp...
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Coronavirus: Pregnant women ‘should keep antenatal appointments’

Pregnant women are being urged to attend antenatal appointments as normal after the government said they should be shielded from coronavirus. The Royal College of Midwives said the appointments were "essential to ensure the wellbeing of pregnant women and their babies". The government says limited evidence suggests there are no coronavirus-related complications in pregnancy. But pregnant women are being advised to limit their social contact. Officials say they should stay away from others due to the coronavirus - but not to panic, according to new advice. The guidance, issued on Monday, asks pregnant women to minimise social contact for up to 12 weeks from this weekend. Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said that despite this, antenatal and postnatal care continue to be important. "We would urge all pregnant women who are well to attend their care as normal. If you are pregnant and have symptoms of possible coronavirus infection, you...
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Coronavirus: UK changes course amid death toll fears

Boris Johnson flanked by chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance Change course or a quarter of a million people will die in a "catastrophic epidemic" of coronavirus - warnings do not come much starker than that. The message came from researchers modelling how the disease will spread, how the NHS would be overwhelmed and how many would die. The situation has shifted dramatically and as a result we are now facing the most profound changes to our daily lives in peacetime. This realisation has happened only in the past few days. However, it is long after other scientists and the World Health Organization had warned of the risks of not going all-out to stop the virus. The crucial piece of evidence came from the scientists at Imperial College London who first realised the scale of the problem in China and whose advice is heavily influential in government. They assessed three strategies: It was on only Friday that Sir Patrick Va...
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