covid-19
What we know so far about the Oxford vaccine
It’s three for three as far as positive outcomes from Covid vaccine trials are concerned. But the announcement from AstraZeneca…
What do excess deaths tell us about Covid?
Assessing the number of Covid deaths has been notoriously difficult throughout the pandemic. Over the summer, English figures were revised down…
Do some people have hidden immunity against Covid?
Remember ‘immunity passports’? Back in April they were floated as a possible means by which we could all get back…
Denmark is creating a roadmap for mandatory vaccination
Could British residents be forced to have a Covid-19 vaccine? Yesterday Health Secretary Matt Hancock refused to rule out mandatory…
Sweden's rule of eight marks a change of strategy
Sweden has been pretty much the only country in the world to have responded to coronavirus using a voluntary system: advising,…
Can Boris be reinfected with Covid?
Boris Johnson is self-isolating in Downing Street after hosting an MP who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19. As we all…
There's nothing wrong with profiting from a vaccine
A couple of shots to the arm and this will all be over. With today’s news from Moderna, last week’s…
Don't silence the anti-vaxxers
Pfizer has come up trumps. Now that a vaccine for Covid-19 is more than just a possibility, we can breathe…
Where’s the slogan saying ‘Lose Weight. Stop Boozing. Survive the virus!’?
Panic at the country feed store. Panic in the horse and pony aisle. I wonder to myself: could life ever…
The joy of red wine
Everything is happening so fast. First we were put under a night curfew. A few days later M. Macron announced…
Lockdown isn't working
Our approach to the Covid-19 pandemic has been a scientific folly. While some mortality is unavoidable during a pandemic, the…
What if this election had been COVID-free?
Imagine there’s no COVID. It’s not that easy even if you try. The pandemic fogs up everything now. But it’s…
Boris's 'Captain Hindsight' attack backfires
Boris Johnson may be able to explain his U-turn on imposing a second national lockdown on England in policy terms,…
Backsliding on a lockdown end-date has begun already
Will England’s lockdown end on 2 December? Even before this morning’s media round there was good reason to suspect it…
Where is there water in the solar system?
The Moon under water Nasa scientists using spectrometers claim to have found good evidence of water on the surface of…
Covid or no Covid, social distancing could be here to stay
Throughout this year, the biggest worry for healthcare planners has been what happens if a second wave of Covid-19 coincides…
Who’d want the job of vaccinating the nation?
Is that a light at the end of the tunnel — or a second lockdown thundering unstoppably towards us? News…
I removed my mask and all hell broke loose
The girl in the posh soap shop put her right arm out, palm flat in my face, and shouted: ‘Stand…
Dear Mary: Can I still socialise with my virus-denying friends?
Q. An old friend offered to treat me to a birthday lunch, provided I choose and book the restaurant myself.…
Covid has become the go-to excuse for shoddy service
Covid has become a get-out clause for shoddy service
Trust is fraying – a circuit break would save it
Nearly a month ago I called for an urgent 24-day full national lockdown, arguing that the restrictions were unlikely to make a significant…
From half a shelf to a library: my life in books
‘Yes, I will have a coffee,’ said the van driver. He’d driven down to the south of France from Devon.…
Portrait of the week: new alerts, birthday honours and fires on Kilimanjaro
Home ‘The weeks and months ahead will continue to be difficult and will test the mettle of this country,’ Boris…
It is time to fight for the future of racing
Fortunately for me and the politicians we entertained over my years covering the darkest profession, Mrs Oakley didn’t do a…
Get yourself to Sweden – while you still can
An idea gains ground that we shouldn’t go abroad any more: that the very act of travelling without urgent reason…
