Twenty-three members of the World Health Organization’s Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens have concluded their independent assessment of SARS-CoV-2 origins, determining that most peer-reviewed scientific evidence supports a zoonotic origin for the virus. The 78-page report, delivered to the WHO director-general in June 2025, emphasizes that certainty about when, where and how SARS-CoV-2 entered the human population remains elusive until additional data become available. The scientists clarified their position following nearly 3.5 years of deliberations, noting that of the original 27 members, 23 endorsed the final conclusions. One member resigned before the report’s completion, while three…

Norovirus cases are surging across the UK as spring approaches, with the average number of patients hospitalized with the illness reaching over 1,000 per day for the first time this winter, according to NHS England. The latest figures show 1,012 patients in hospital with norovirus each day during the most recent reporting week, representing a nearly 10 percent increase from the previous week. This marks the second consecutive week of rising norovirus infections, prompting hospitals to close wards in an effort to contain outbreaks. Health officials have expressed surprise at the sustained rise in norovirus cases, particularly as cases of…

A British writer’s decades-long struggle with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS, has shed light on the ongoing challenges patients face in securing proper diagnosis and treatment for this debilitating condition. The personal account, spanning nearly 30 years from childhood illness to experimental brain retraining therapy, highlights the medical establishment’s frequent dismissal of chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms and the psychological toll of living with an often-misunderstood disease. The writer first became ill at age 11 in the late 1990s after contracting what seemed like a normal virus. Instead of recovering, she experienced persistent headaches, swollen lymph…

Scientists may have uncovered why cancer survivors face a significantly lower risk of developing dementia, according to groundbreaking research published in the journal Cell. Researchers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China identified a protein called cystatin C, released by cancer cells during tumor growth, that appears to destroy amyloid plaques in the brain. These abnormal protein clumps are strongly linked to dementia development, and the discovery could revolutionize treatment approaches for the condition. Multiple studies over the past two decades have consistently shown that a cancer diagnosis reduces dementia risk by approximately 25 percent. The newly identified…

GP practices across England are set to receive financial bonuses of up to £3,000 annually for prescribing weight loss jabs to eligible patients under a new NHS initiative. The scheme, backed by £25 million in ring-fenced funding, aims to improve access to obesity care and address concerns about inequitable distribution of weight loss injections. Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the incentive as part of a new GP contract, emphasizing that access to treatment should be based on clinical need rather than financial means. According to the Department of Health and Social Care, practices will need to meet specific criteria to…

A toddler from Lancashire is recovering from acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a rare and severe brain condition triggered by an asymptomatic Covid infection that gave her only a 50/50 chance of survival. Lettie, who was 17 months old when she fell ill, experienced rapid neurological decline that left her body rigid and caused significant brain damage, according to her parents Jack and Zuzanna. The frightening ordeal began when Lettie refused breakfast one morning but otherwise appeared normal. Within an hour, she vomited, turned pale, and her breathing became laboured before collapsing in her father’s arms. An ambulance rushed her to…