Health & Medical

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 ...

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 ...

"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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The decision to delay closing schools and introduce other strict measures to combat coronavirus has been defended by England's deputy chief medical officer. Dr Jenny Harries said experts are assessing new cases on an hourly basis to achieve a "balanced response". She told BBC Breakfast new measures could follow as UK cases begin to rise rapidly over the next two weeks. In the UK, five people with the virus have died. There were 319 confirmed cases as of 09:00 GMT on Monday. Dr Harries said the vast majority of those diagnosed with coronavirus in Britain are "pretty well" but that they may "feel a bit rough for a few days". She added that people with flu-like symptoms will be advised to self-isolate within 10 to 14 days and, at the same time, significant increases in the number of cases are likely to begin. Dr Harries said cancelling big outdoor events like football matches would not necessarily be a decision supported by science. "The vir...

Andrew Testa/New York Times/Redux/eyevine Adam Castillejo wants to be "an ambassador of hope" A man from London has become the second person in the world to be cured of HIV, doctors say. Adam Castillejo is still free of the virus more than 30 months after stopping anti-retroviral therapy. He was not cured by the HIV drugs, however, but by a stem-cell treatment he received for a cancer he also had, the Lancet HIV journal reports. The donors of those stem cells have an uncommon gene that gives them, and now Mr Castillejo, protection against HIV. In 2011, Timothy Brown, the "Berlin Patient" became the first person reported as cured of HIV, three and half years after having similar treatment. Stem-cell transplants appear to stop the virus being able to replicate inside the body by replacing the patient's own immune cells with donor ones that resist HIV infection. Adam Castillejo - the now 40-year-old "London Patient" who has decided to go public ...

Some people are being asked to isolate themselves to prevent the spread of coronavirus. So, what do you need to know about self-isolation and how to do it? You may need to isolate yourself if you have travelled to an affected area, or have been in close contact with an infected person. Travellers returning from many parts of Asia where the virus is prevalent and Italy north of Pisa - you can find a full list of countries here - are only being asked to self-isolate and get tested if they feel symptoms. These include a cough, fever or shortness of breath. Don't go to the GP or hospital - stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if your symptoms are mild. (In parts of Wales where 111 isn't available, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47, and in Northern Ireland you should call your GP. ) Steer clear of the shops - order a delivery or ask a friend for help Other people returning from some virus hotspots are being asked to isolate themselves and call 111 - even if they have no symptoms. ...

Researchers are developing vaccines and starting to test them on animals As cases of coronavirus increase around the globe, the focus is turning to finding a vaccine. We've answered some of the big questions about vaccines and how soon one for coronavirus could be ready. Vaccines are like teachers - their pupil is the immune system and their lesson is how to fight infection. Vaccines harmlessly show viruses or bacteria (or even small parts of them) to the immune system. The body's defences recognise it as an invader and then learn how to fight it. Then if the body is ever exposed for real it already knows how to fight the infection. The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus. So the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is made by using weakened versions of those viruses that cannot cause a full-blown infection. The seasonal flu jab is made by taking the main strains of flu doing the rounds and completely disabling them. The work on a ...

More than 50 countries have now confirmed cases Researchers currently think that between five and 40 coronavirus cases in 1,000 will result in death, with a best guess of nine in 1,000 or about 1%. On Sunday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK government's "very best assessment" was that the mortality rate was "2% or, likely, lower". But it depends on a range of factors: your age, sex and general health and the health system you are in. It is PhD-level hard. Even counting cases is tricky. Most cases of most viruses will go uncounted because people tend not to visit the doctor with mild symptoms. The different death rates we are seeing reported around the world are unlikely to be due to different versions of the virus. According to research by Imperial College, it's because different countries are better or worse at spotting the milder, harder to count cases. So under-reporting cases makes it easy to overestimate the death rate. But you can ...

An action plan to deal with a possible major coronavirus outbreak in the UK has been outlined by the government. So what will happen and is the NHS well prepared? The government has the power to close schools, restrict the use of public transport and stop large gatherings, to protect people from infection. It also hopes to pass laws allowing class sizes to be increased - in case there is a shortage of teachers. Troops will support emergency services, if required. And police may focus on the most serious crimes and maintaining public order, if the virus becomes widespread. A public information campaign will be launched to help people protect themselves. The main focus will be on regular and thorough hand washing. New legal powers have also been passed to make people stay in quarantine. The government's emergency Cobra committee - made up of ministers, civil servants and officials - is coordinating the response. Exactly what steps are taken will depend upon the severity o...

Plans to contain coronavirus if it spreads, involving possible school closures, cancelling events and bringing NHS staff out of retirement, are to be set out by the UK government. Unnecessary travel could be curbed and people urged to work from home. Legislation will be introduced to ensure ministers have the powers to prepare for a widespread outbreak. The chancellor says this month's budget will see help for the health services and economy in the face of the threat. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government was not currently recommending the cancelling of large events such as the London Marathon or school closures, unless this was advised by Public Health England. However, he said there was a "significant risk" of the virus becoming more widespread, meaning further measures might be necessary. "There may be things that we have to do down the line that we may not want to, but we will need the powers to do that, hence proposing emergency legislation,...

The case has been heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London A woman who claimed she would have had an abortion if she had known her father had a fatal, inherited brain condition has failed in her bid to sue the NHS. She claimed three NHS Trusts owed her a duty of care to tell her about her father's Huntington's disease. Any child of someone with the condition has a 50% chance of inheriting it. But the High Court ruled that the decision not to tell her about her father's diagnosis was supported by a "responsible body of medical opinion". In her judgement at the court in London, Mrs Justice Yip found that, on the balance of probabilities, the claimant would not have gone ahead with a termination of her pregnancy if she had been made aware of the risk. She added that while she had "the greatest of sympathy for the tragic circumstances in which the claimant finds herself, this claim must be dismissed". The woman, who is known as ABC in order to...

The global market for omega-3 supplements has been estimated to be worth around $33bn (£25.6bn) Taking omega-3 supplements offers "little to no" benefit against cancer, say experts. Consumption of fish oil supplements is promoted as having a wide range of positive impacts on health. These are purported to include lowering the risk of strokes, as well as diseases such as cancer and dementia. But researchers at University of Anglia (UEA) found taking daily supplements will likely have no significant impact on a person's health. The research relates specifically to supplements, rather than omega-3 derived from eating fish, with experts still suggesting the latter is good for the heart, as well as general health. More than 100,000 participants were randomised to either consume more omega-3 fats in supplement form, or maintain their usual intake, for at least a year. Researchers found that if 1000 people took supplements for approximately four years, the actual effect...

A demonstration of how drive through testing is carried out in London A "drive through" testing centre for coronavirus has opened in Edinburgh amid warnings a positive case in Scotland is "inevitable". Patients with appointments are being tested for the virus in their cars at the Western General Hospital in the city. Scotland remains the only part of the UK without a positive Covid-19 case. But chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood has warned it is "just a matter of time" until this changes. A patient diagnosed with coronavirus in England has become the first person to catch it in the UK, rather than while travelling abroad. The news comes after a British man became the first UK citizen to die from the virus after catching it on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Latest figures show a total of 500 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in Scotland but there are still no confirmed cases. However, Dr Calderwood told BBC Sco...

Rosie Longman says she is "bent double" and unable to stand at times because of the pain A woman who had to change careers because of endometriosis has said an improvement in attitude towards women with the condition feels "incredible". Endometriosis affects one in 10 UK women and can cause debilitating pain, very heavy periods and infertility. MPs began an inquiry into the condition after BBC research, and will listen to the experiences of those living with it when hearings get under way later. Rosie Longman, 40, said: "We're finally being believed and listened to." Ms Longman, from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, has had four operations since being diagnosed a decade ago and is due to have a hysterectomy. Her career as a practising criminal barrister came to an end when she could no longer spend hours in court. "The pain is like someone has a grip on your insides, pulling and twisting them and kicking you in the crotch," she...

Patients needing cannabis-based medicines should no longer face long delays in accessing their prescriptions, says the government. Changes to importing restrictions mean UK companies can now order and hold more stocks from abroad. That should make the treatments available to patients in days, rather than months. The changes will help people with conditions such as rare, serious forms of epilepsy or multiple sclerosis. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the move was a "tremendous step forward", but that there was still "a long way to go" to improving access. Most cannabis-based medicines are imported from abroad rather than made in the UK. Previously, only the amounts required for individual prescriptions could be imported, with no bulk ordering or holding of supplies. Medical cannabis is a broad term used by doctors to describe treatments - such as oral tablets and sprays - that have some similar ingredients to recreational cannabis, but will not get you hi...

Up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic in the UK, the government says in its latest plans. Police may need to focus on only responding to the most serious crimes and maintaining public order if the virus spreads. The military could also provide support to emergency services if needed. The government's response is in its first stage - containing the outbreak - with the number of UK cases at 51. If the virus becomes widespread, some non-urgent hospital care may be delayed to focus on treating those who are infected, while recently retired doctors and nurses may be called back to work. Other possible measures include school closures, reducing large-scale gatherings and working from home. At a press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government was committed to doing "everything possible" to "prepare for all eventualities" and its priority was keeping the country safe. While the vast majority ...