Man dies from mysterious ‘Alaskapox’ disease – first-ever victim of rare illness

A virus first discovered in 2015 has just claimed its first victim near Alaska’s largest city. An unidentified immunocompromised man died from “Alaskapox” in late January. He lived in the woods of the Kenai Peninsula by himself, and it’s unclear how he contracted the virus. Alaskapox – from the same genus as smallpox and monkeypox … Read more

E.coli: teen lucky to survive Christmas market visit

A teenager struck down by E.coli after visiting a Christmas market is “lucky to be alive”. Antonia Hay spent two weeks in intensive care with Shiga toxin-associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome (STEC-HUS). She has had multiple operations, including having part of her bowel removed. It is thought she may have contracted the bug at a festive … Read more

COVID Self-Testing: How To Get Reliable Results At Home

It’s that time of year again. Upper respiratory infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID are rising — and we’re only just getting started. The signs and symptoms of these infections can be quite similar and include anything from a fever and cough to a sore throat, congestion and a headache. Because it … Read more