20 December 2022
Many countries in the northern hemisphere are seeing surges of childhood respiratory infections like influenza and RSV. While this is partly because child infections fell during covid-19 restrictions, that isn’t the whole story
23 November 2022
Seasonal infections are set to spike, while the cost-of-living crisis is also expected to affect some children’s mental and physical health
10 May 2022
Viruses sequenced from century-old lung samples in German and Austrian museums have shed light on how flu can change over time
23 March 2020
For something so small, viruses have a huge impact on the world. They are easily the most abundant organisms on Earth (though the use of the word “organisms” is controversial), found in every environment in vast, mind-numbingly large numbers.
1 November 2018
Air travel may actually be reducing the risk of a deadly pandemic. This is because its harder for new microbes to stay isolated and become incredibly lethal
9 April 2018
Contracting infections like flu during pregnancy seems to lead to changes in a child’s brain that affects their cognitive abilities
2 January 2018
100 years ago, a global flu pandemic claimed the lives of up to 5 per cent of humanity. It’s not the only time the virus has taken on a new, far deadlier form
2 January 2018
At least two flu strains are only a few mutations away from developing deadly human-to-human transmission. So how do we minimise the impact?
2 January 2018
This year’s flu jab is working, but not working well – throwing a spotlight on the commercial and other factors that prevent us developing something better
2 January 2018
We will all be exposed to flu this winter, but not all of us will get sick. The best way to minimise the risk is clear – although it’s a far from perfect solution
