Microbiology

Viruses survive in fresh water by ‘hitchhiking’ on plastic, study finds

Intestinal viruses such as rotavirus were found to be infectious for up to three days by attaching to microplastics, research shows

Karen McVeigh

27, Jun, 2022 @5:01 AM

Can our mitochondria help to beat long Covid?

Mitochondria play a role in many aspects of keeping us healthy – and could be the key to unlocking treatments for chronic diseases, including Parkinson’s

David Cox

26, Jun, 2022 @1:00 PM

Covid vaccines cut global death toll by 20m in first year, study finds

First major analysis examines impact across 185 countries since first jab was administered in December 2020

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

24, Jun, 2022 @12:35 PM

Scientists discover world’s largest bacterium, the size of an eyelash

At about 1cm long, Thiomargarita magnifica is roughly 50 times larger than all other known giant bacteria

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

23, Jun, 2022 @6:00 PM

Spread of ‘free-range’ farming may raise risk of animal-borne pandemics – study

If we can’t dramatically cut meat consumption then intensive ‘factory farming’ may be comparatively less risky, say authors

John Vidal

23, Jun, 2022 @4:10 PM

Covid reinfections in the UK: how likely are you to catch coronavirus again?

Covid reinfections have become increasingly common, due to decline in antibodies and the evolution of the virus

Linda Geddes

22, Jun, 2022 @6:00 AM

Tell us: have you been affected by the UK monkeypox outbreak?

The current outbreak of monkeypox in the UK has reached over 300 cases, according to official figures

Guardian community team

09, Jun, 2022 @11:03 AM

Severe Covid cases ‘more likely in highly polluted areas’

Air pollutant nitrogen dioxide may contribute to intensive care admissions, German study finds

Robin McKie Science Editor

04, Jun, 2022 @10:00 PM

Is the Covid pandemic finally nearing its end? | Aris Katzourakis

The virus’s behaviour in highly vaccinated countries may offer clues to our future with the disease, says Aris Katzourakis, a professor in viral evolution at Oxford University

Aris Katzourakis

01, Jun, 2022 @7:00 AM

Medical research stalled as NHS focuses on small number of trials, experts say

Report outlines ‘research waste’ that occurred during the pandemic, with weakly designed trials exposing millions to unproven treatments

Linda Geddes Science correspondent

29, May, 2022 @11:01 PM

Monkeypox patients advised to avoid contact with pets for three weeks

UK experts urge confirmed cases to avoid handling household pets as precautionary measure

Nicola Davis Science correspondent

27, May, 2022 @5:10 PM

Monkeypox isn’t the disease we should be worried about | John Vidal

Climate change is likely to exacerbate the rapid spread of viruses and pathogens, says John Vidal, former Guardian environment editor