Michael Simmons

Is there a new Covid wave – and do we need to worry?

12 June 2022 7:32 pm

Is Covid back on the rise? The ONS survey shows increasing prevalence in England and Northern Ireland, with ‘uncertain’ results…

Did monkeypox leak from Wuhan?

24 May 2022 3:00 am

It’s a familiar story. Close contacts of individuals infected by a dangerous illness are being asked by UK officials to…

The politics of bowls clubs

21 May 2022 9:00 am

Bowls has a reputation as a sedate pastime, but it can be as fiercely competitive as any other sport. It…

Will Nicola Sturgeon’s mask restrictions have any effect?

16 March 2022 4:29 am

As England axes the last of its Covid regulations, Nicola Sturgeon is extending Scotland’s – saying that mask wearing in…

Covid is rising again. Should we worry?

11 March 2022 11:50 pm

For some time now, Covid has been rising in Scotland – there are now more Scots in hospital with Covid…

Sage admits its models were 'at variance to reality'. But why?

5 March 2022 6:00 pm

The Sage committee was set up as a pool of experts on tap to advise government. During the pandemic, it mutated…

Why Sage got Omicron wrong

23 January 2022 7:00 pm

Given that lockdown was very nearly ordered on the advice of Sage last month, it’s worth keeping an eye on…

Omicron is on its way out

19 January 2022 11:11 pm

Omicron peaked in England in early January, according to figures just released by the ONS. The estimates from the weekly…

Will Omicron overwhelm the NHS? The crucial missing data

24 December 2021 5:08 am

If you catch Omicron your risk of ending up in hospital is between 50 to 70 per cent less likely…

Omicron is now Britain’s dominant Covid strain

18 December 2021 5:41 am

If you test positive for Covid now in Britain, the odds are that it’s Omicron: it’s now the dominant strain…

What’s the evidence for England’s vaccine passports?

9 December 2021 6:02 am

The Prime Minister has just announced Plan B. Working from home has been all but mandated and large venues —…

Scotland's 70-page dossier finds no evidence for vaccine passports

21 November 2021 9:38 am

Nicola Sturgeon wants to extend vaccine passports in Scotland, and today her government released a 70-page document purporting to show…

What’s the evidence for Scotland’s vaccine passports?

18 November 2021 2:00 am

Nicola Sturgeon is considering extending vaccine passports to Scotland’s cinemas, theatres and pubs. ‘We are also considering whether an expansion…

Pfizer’s Covid pill breakthrough

6 November 2021 10:00 am

After the UK medicines regulator yesterday approved Merck’s Covid pill for use on recently infected, vulnerable patients, Pfizer announced its…