WILL VACCINES CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PROTECTION?
The latest strain (Omicron) is said to cause 'mild' COVID, but a big reason for this is that vaccines - in those who received a course and mounted a normal immune response – have blunted its deadly impact.
Omicron is probably more deadly than the original wild-type variant, but the population is now better protected Importantly, being vaccinated doesn't stop you catching and spreading COVID; it just reduces the severity of illness in most people. As we've let our guard down, case rates have skyrocketed. A disease with a low mortality rate affecting several million people will kill more people than a disease with a higher mortality rate that only affects a few thousand.
People with compromised immune systems (for example, anyone with a transplant, on chemotherapy, or taking steroids), and those who remain unvaccinated for any reason, are still at risk of severe disease and a possible fatal outcome. Hence, while vaccination is important, it's only our first line of defence.
HOW DO DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AFFECT THE SPREAD OF COVID?
Step two in living with COVID is to attend to air quality, since the virus spreads mostly in tiny invisible particles suspended in the air.
Denne historien er fra April 2022-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
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Denne historien er fra April 2022-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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CHANGE THE (BODY) CLOCKS
Why the end of British Summer Time can be a wake-up call for our circadian health
ARE OCTOPUSES SENTIENT?
If you've watched the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher or been lucky enough to encounter an octopus in the wild, you'll know there's something special about them.
THE MEXICAN MOLE LIZARD
Imagine what would happen if an earthworm, a lizard, a snake and a mole went on a night out, had too much too much tequila and let their guard down.
Do we finally know how the Egyptian Pyramids were built?
A number of breakthrough studies are beginning to paint a picture of how these wonders of the world were built, but much of the story still remains a mystery...
ECLIPSES ON DEMAND
Inside an unassuming building, behind a damp car park in Antwerp, Belgium, scientists are teaching two spacecraft to be dance partners for a performance that will take place in front of the Sun.
How light's 'secret code' reveals the story of the cosmos
The starlight we can see tells us alot about the Universe, but it's the parts we can't see that contain the biggest revelations
An artificial heart inspired by plumbing
Mechanical circulation could revolutionise transplant design and reduce waiting lists
Major Stonehenge discovery deepens mystery around ancient monument
New findings suggest a key six-tonne stone came from over 450 miles north of the circle
THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF PNEUMATIC TUBES
Once a pioneering technology that revolutionised deliveries, pneumatic tubes had all but disappeared. Now they're back and enjoying a resurgence
LIVING FOSSILS
FOR SOME CREATURES ALIVE TODAY TIME HAS ALMOST STOOD STILL. MEET THE 'LIVING FOSSILS' THAT GIVE US A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE IN THE DISTANT PAST
