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| UK coronavirus live: London has enough hospital beds, says Khan, as Boris Johnson remains in intensive care | UK coronavirus live: London has enough hospital beds, says Khan, as Boris Johnson remains in intensive care |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Mayor says capital has ‘capacity to deal with our needs’, as Cambridge University sets up new testing lab | Mayor says capital has ‘capacity to deal with our needs’, as Cambridge University sets up new testing lab |
| Interesting insight today on the Guardian from an intensive care doctor who shares their experiences of what treating coronavirus patients is like. | |
| Shaan Sahota, a junior doctor working in London, writes: | |
| Hello everyone. I am taking over the live blog while my colleague Lucy Campbell takes a much-earned lunch break. Please do get in touch with me via any of the channels below if you want to share any information or news tips. Thanks all! | |
| Twitter: @sloumarshInstagram: sarah_marsh_journalistEmail: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com | |
| In the latest episode of our Science Weekly podcast, the Guardian’s health editor Sarah Boseley speaks to Prof Trudie Lang about the outbreak on the African continent and explores how a history of responding to Ebola and other public health emergencies could help. | |
| Listen to the episode here. | |
| The National Records of Scotland have just brought out a new set of figures showing coronavirus deaths in Scotland since the pandemic began. | |
| As of 5 April, there have been 354 deaths registered in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned in the death certificate. This compares with the figures from the Scottish government’s daily updates, provides by Health protection Scotland, which put the accumulated figure at 296 yesterday. | |
| We now have two measures of deaths in Scotland: | |
| Scottish government daily update, from HPS, which counts deaths that occurred within last 24 hours of those who died within 28 days of positive test for the virus | |
| This new National Records of Scotland weekly update, which counts all registered deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on death certificate, including suspected and probable cases | |
| Today’s data shows that the vast majority of deaths were in the 65 years and over age group, with 306 of the 354 in that group. | |
| Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in the year up to 5 April with 122 deaths registered. To date, no Covid-19 related deaths have been registered in Orkney and Western Isles. | |
| Researchers believe the coronavirus lockdown is working as data from a tracker app suggests that the number of people aged 20-69 who are reporting Covid-19 symptoms has fallen from 1.9 million to 1.4 million across the UK. | Researchers believe the coronavirus lockdown is working as data from a tracker app suggests that the number of people aged 20-69 who are reporting Covid-19 symptoms has fallen from 1.9 million to 1.4 million across the UK. |
| The drop, by around 500,000 people since 1 April, is indicated in analysis of data from the Covid Symptom Tracker app, which is used by more than two million people. | The drop, by around 500,000 people since 1 April, is indicated in analysis of data from the Covid Symptom Tracker app, which is used by more than two million people. |
| Contributors can track their daily health on the specially created app, which is also being used by healthcare and hospital workers nationwide. | Contributors can track their daily health on the specially created app, which is also being used by healthcare and hospital workers nationwide. |
| The researchers behind the app, which was developed by a team at King’s College London, said their latest figures suggest that staying home is having a big impact on the spread of the virus in the UK. | The researchers behind the app, which was developed by a team at King’s College London, said their latest figures suggest that staying home is having a big impact on the spread of the virus in the UK. |
| They say the drop in new symptoms indicates that although the number of hospital admissions and deaths from Covid-19 are currently rising, they should start to fall in about two weeks’ time provided social distancing continues. The team believes the two-week lag is caused by the delay between symptoms starting and becoming very severe. | They say the drop in new symptoms indicates that although the number of hospital admissions and deaths from Covid-19 are currently rising, they should start to fall in about two weeks’ time provided social distancing continues. The team believes the two-week lag is caused by the delay between symptoms starting and becoming very severe. |
| Lead researcher, Prof Tim Spector from King’s College London, said: | Lead researcher, Prof Tim Spector from King’s College London, said: |
| However, while symptoms have been decreasing nationally, researchers say that their data shows that in all areas there are still many people with active symptoms. | However, while symptoms have been decreasing nationally, researchers say that their data shows that in all areas there are still many people with active symptoms. |
| The data also shows that individual areas vary. Most of the country’s larger cities like London, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Liverpool continue to have very high levels of symptoms in the community, even this far into lockdown. South Wales is another hotspot. | The data also shows that individual areas vary. Most of the country’s larger cities like London, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Liverpool continue to have very high levels of symptoms in the community, even this far into lockdown. South Wales is another hotspot. |
| There are significantly higher levels of symptoms across the Midlands, the North of England and southern Scotland than in the south-west of England. | There are significantly higher levels of symptoms across the Midlands, the North of England and southern Scotland than in the south-west of England. |
| The Covid Symptom Tracker app was developed by a King’s College London team in association with the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and healthcare start-up ZOE Global Limited. | The Covid Symptom Tracker app was developed by a King’s College London team in association with the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and healthcare start-up ZOE Global Limited. |
| You can download the app, and view an interactive map showing the suggested distribution of Covid-19 in your area, here. | You can download the app, and view an interactive map showing the suggested distribution of Covid-19 in your area, here. |
| Following a news report this morning regarding cats and coronavirus, the British Veterinary Association has clarified its advice for cat owners during the pandemic. | Following a news report this morning regarding cats and coronavirus, the British Veterinary Association has clarified its advice for cat owners during the pandemic. |
| The BVA’s president, Daniella Dos Santos, said only cats from infected or self-isolating households should be kept indoors as a precaution. She stated the BVA is not advising that all cats be kept indoors during the coronavirus crisis. | The BVA’s president, Daniella Dos Santos, said only cats from infected or self-isolating households should be kept indoors as a precaution. She stated the BVA is not advising that all cats be kept indoors during the coronavirus crisis. |
| The full statement can be read below. | The full statement can be read below. |
| The Labour MP Chris Bryant has raised an important point surrounding the language used in the context of suffering from an illness. | The Labour MP Chris Bryant has raised an important point surrounding the language used in the context of suffering from an illness. |
| In a post on Twitter, the Rhondda MP drew on his own experience of having once had cancer and implored politicians not to use language such as “fight” when referring to someone dealing with illness, such as the prime minister who remains in intensive care. He wrote: | In a post on Twitter, the Rhondda MP drew on his own experience of having once had cancer and implored politicians not to use language such as “fight” when referring to someone dealing with illness, such as the prime minister who remains in intensive care. He wrote: |
| Charities for deaf people have begun legal action against the government over the lack of sign language interpreters for the daily ministerial coronavirus briefing. They claim the government is in breach of the Equality Act 2010. | Charities for deaf people have begun legal action against the government over the lack of sign language interpreters for the daily ministerial coronavirus briefing. They claim the government is in breach of the Equality Act 2010. |
| Charities such as NRCPD, Action on Hearing Loss, SignHealth and Action Deafness are backing Lynn Stewart-Taylor’s #WhereIsTheInterpreter campaign and have started a CrowdJustice fund for an elderly deaf man with no access to the national Covid-19 announcements to take legal action. | Charities such as NRCPD, Action on Hearing Loss, SignHealth and Action Deafness are backing Lynn Stewart-Taylor’s #WhereIsTheInterpreter campaign and have started a CrowdJustice fund for an elderly deaf man with no access to the national Covid-19 announcements to take legal action. |
| A spokeswoman for NRCPD has said that currently the BBC provides in-vision British Sign Language interpreting on BBC News Channel only but this is not consistent and isn’t shown across all major news outlets and not everyone has access to this channel or the internet. She added: | A spokeswoman for NRCPD has said that currently the BBC provides in-vision British Sign Language interpreting on BBC News Channel only but this is not consistent and isn’t shown across all major news outlets and not everyone has access to this channel or the internet. She added: |
| The British HIV Association has said it is aware that many people with HIV received a text on Tuesday advising them to “shield”. | The British HIV Association has said it is aware that many people with HIV received a text on Tuesday advising them to “shield”. |
| BHIVA said it is looking into why this has happened but there remains no evidence that people with well-controlled HIV need to shield, and it recommends continuing to follow the advice given in the joint statement from BHIVA and the Terrence Higgins Trust on 25 March on Covid-19 and the extremely vulnerable (read it here). | BHIVA said it is looking into why this has happened but there remains no evidence that people with well-controlled HIV need to shield, and it recommends continuing to follow the advice given in the joint statement from BHIVA and the Terrence Higgins Trust on 25 March on Covid-19 and the extremely vulnerable (read it here). |
| People with a CD4 count less than 50 or recent opportunistic illness are advised to shield. | People with a CD4 count less than 50 or recent opportunistic illness are advised to shield. |
| A long-stay car park at Gatwick airport will be used as a drive-through testing centre. | A long-stay car park at Gatwick airport will be used as a drive-through testing centre. |
| The site will open on Wednesday and then daily from 9am to 5pm on an appointment-only basis, the airport said. Initially it will be for NHS staff and invited key workers. | The site will open on Wednesday and then daily from 9am to 5pm on an appointment-only basis, the airport said. Initially it will be for NHS staff and invited key workers. |
| The airport’s chief executive Stewart Wingate said: | The airport’s chief executive Stewart Wingate said: |
| British Airways employees have “overwhelmingly” voted to approve a deal to furlough the airline’s workers and preserve employment, Unite has announced. | British Airways employees have “overwhelmingly” voted to approve a deal to furlough the airline’s workers and preserve employment, Unite has announced. |
| The union said its members backed the deal by 99%, following negotiations between the two sides in the wake of most flights being cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis. | The union said its members backed the deal by 99%, following negotiations between the two sides in the wake of most flights being cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis. |
| Under the agreement, a modified version of the government’s job retention scheme will be introduced, with workers furloughed on 80% of pay, but with no cap on earnings. | Under the agreement, a modified version of the government’s job retention scheme will be introduced, with workers furloughed on 80% of pay, but with no cap on earnings. |
| Unite said workers will be able to divert their pension contributions into their pay for a short period of time, there will be no unpaid temporary lay-offs and no redundancies. | Unite said workers will be able to divert their pension contributions into their pay for a short period of time, there will be no unpaid temporary lay-offs and no redundancies. |
| Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: | Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: |
| With 14 transport workers in London confirmed to have died after testing positive for coronavirus, a mother made a plea for public transport workers to be adequately protected following the death of her son. | With 14 transport workers in London confirmed to have died after testing positive for coronavirus, a mother made a plea for public transport workers to be adequately protected following the death of her son. |
| Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Anne Nyack criticised the lack of PPE for bus drivers after her 36-year-old son, Emeka Nyack Ihenacho, became one of nine bus drivers to have lost their lives after contracting the virus. | Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Anne Nyack criticised the lack of PPE for bus drivers after her 36-year-old son, Emeka Nyack Ihenacho, became one of nine bus drivers to have lost their lives after contracting the virus. |
| She said of her son: | She said of her son: |
| The Courier reports on a “miracle in Perthshire” this morning, with the story of Daphne Shah, who has recovered from coronavirus in time to celebrate her 99th birthday in July. | The Courier reports on a “miracle in Perthshire” this morning, with the story of Daphne Shah, who has recovered from coronavirus in time to celebrate her 99th birthday in July. |
| Shah, who lives in Dundee, spent four nights in Ninewells hospital over the weekend. Her son Wes told the newspaper that he feared he would never see his mother again after she was admitted by ambulance last Thursday. He praised NHS Scotland staff, saying that Shah received a level of care he’d only expect “if she was the only patient in the hospital”. | Shah, who lives in Dundee, spent four nights in Ninewells hospital over the weekend. Her son Wes told the newspaper that he feared he would never see his mother again after she was admitted by ambulance last Thursday. He praised NHS Scotland staff, saying that Shah received a level of care he’d only expect “if she was the only patient in the hospital”. |
| At 1.38pm on 31 December, a Chinese government website announced the detection of a “pneumonia of unknown cause” in the area surrounding the South China seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, an industrial city of 11 million people. | At 1.38pm on 31 December, a Chinese government website announced the detection of a “pneumonia of unknown cause” in the area surrounding the South China seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, an industrial city of 11 million people. |
| The outbreak was one of at least a dozen to be confirmed by the World Health Organization that December. Outside China, its discovery was barely noticed. | The outbreak was one of at least a dozen to be confirmed by the World Health Organization that December. Outside China, its discovery was barely noticed. |
| Over the next 100 days, the virus would freeze international travel, extinguish economic activity and confine half of humanity to their homes, infecting more than a million people and counting, including the British prime minister, the heir to the British throne, an Iranian vice-president, and Idris Elba. By the middle of April, more than 75,000 would be dead. | Over the next 100 days, the virus would freeze international travel, extinguish economic activity and confine half of humanity to their homes, infecting more than a million people and counting, including the British prime minister, the heir to the British throne, an Iranian vice-president, and Idris Elba. By the middle of April, more than 75,000 would be dead. |
| But all that was still unimaginable at the end of December, as 11.59pm ticked over to midnight, fireworks exploded and people embraced at parties and in packed streets. | But all that was still unimaginable at the end of December, as 11.59pm ticked over to midnight, fireworks exploded and people embraced at parties and in packed streets. |
| Here is Michael Safi’s long read on 100 days that changed the world. | Here is Michael Safi’s long read on 100 days that changed the world. |