New Covid strains ‘very unlikely’ to stop return to normality this summer, expert says

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefDiscovery has announced that it has struck a multi-year agreement to supply content to Foxtel Group, Australia’s pay-TV market leader.The renewed deal covers factual, documentary and reality content from the flagship Discovery Channel as well as the TLC, Investigation Discovery, Discovery Turbo and Animal Planet channels. Significantly, Discovery’s content will be available for Australian subscribers to stream on demand on Foxtel and on its associated streaming service Binge.

Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards seems determined to get back to feeling her best after giving birth last August, and if her recent holiday pics are anything to go by, her hard work is paying off. Last week, the star shared a series of stunning bikini pics on Instagram, which were taken on a recent break in Dubai with her longterm partner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 28 and their six-month-old son, Axel. And pals close to the singer have revealed that she’s never felt better.They said: “Perrie is feeling so happy and healthy.

ladies tights such as pantyhose on your face could reduce the risk of getting Covid, more so than masks.A major risk identified with commonly worn face masks is that they do not fit tightly enough to block viral particles from being inhaled or exhaled significantly.Cambridge University researchers have tested seven hacks to improve the fit of masks.Their new study outlined DIY hacks people have used to make masks fit better, including using rubber bands or tape.They found the most effective tactic was to wrap pantyhose around the bottom half of the face or on top of a mask.Researchers have said that this could reduce the number of viral particles by up to seven times more than a loose mask on its own by sealing the gaps around the nose and mouth.They raised that the social and physical impact of wearing tights on your face in public was "unlikely to be tolerated for an extended period of time".Tight-fitting medical masks are great at blocking out the virus, but many describe them as uncomfortable.The study raised that the most common surgical or cloth masks are far less resistant to Covid.Cambridge researchers recruited four volunteers to try seven different mask hacks - the study looked at both surgical and KN95 masks.Other methods included tying the ear bands to make the masks fit more tightly or stuffing the gaps with bandages.Participants did seven minutes of various exercises designed to mimic real-world interactions such as talking, smiling, nodding and eating.The researchers measured how well the masks fit by monitoring the filtration efficiency and calculating a 'fit factor' score.Pantyhose and cloth tape were most effective, increasing the fit factor by 27.7 and 14.7.Surgical masks performed better if worn in

Richard Madeley has made a cheeky dig at wife Judy Finnegan while discussing pop star Anne-Marie's fall during her live performance at the BRIT Awards.The 65-year-old presenter was back on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday alongside co-host Susanna Reid.They kicked off the latest ITV breakfast show by discussing all gossip from the BRITs ceremony the night before.Richard brought up the moment that pop star Anne-Marie, 30, took a dramatic tumble while performing her song Kiss My (Uh Oh) in front of fans at the O2 Arena and millions of viewers at home.Fans were quick to throw their support behind the singer for continuing with her big performance despite hurting her left ankle.During the conversation, Richard couldn't help but bring up his wife Judy's memorable wardrobe malfunction from the 2001 National Television Awards.Judy revealed a lot more than she intended to when she took to the stage to accept an award alongside husband Richard 21 years ago.Poor Judy's top opened as she went onstage, leaving her white bra on display to the audience at the Royal Albert Hall, and more than 12 million viewers at home.Fans of the annual awards show were left gobsmacked when her black outfit fell open to reveal her busty lingerie as she stepped up on-stage.Even worse, she and Richard seemingly had no idea what was going on.Colleague John Leslie realised they were none the wiser, and he ran on stage to help preserve Judy's modesty and cover her up.Speaking about Anne-Marie's fall, Richard joked: "At least she didn't show her bra."Susanna added: "For all the younger viewers, can you explain?"Richard went on to explain the moment Judy flashed her underwear to the nation.He continued: ""Before we went to the awards, Judy said 'I haven't

Prince Harry reportedly went “ballistic” after Prince William uttered five words which caused things to change forever. The Duke of Sussex got engaged to Meghan Markle in November 2017, before the pair married six months later in May 2018.

direct to your inboxAll NHS Nightingale hospitals including Manchester are to be 'stood down' as the number of Covid patients dropped below 10,000, the Health Secretary has confirmed. The emergency sites were set up when the pandemic first hit last year amid fears of a huge surge in critically ill patients.

A top scientist says the UK is "well-equipped" to stay ahead of Covid variants amid hopes for a better summer.

Free rapid Covid tests will now be available to all businesses in England in a bid to curb the spread as the country reopens.

Video: Working as a nurse during the coronavirus pandemic and why we should be given a payrise for it (Wales Online)Matt Hancock urges people to 'remain vigilant' after Brazil variant reaches UKSeveral coronavirus cases in Welsh Government staff, Mr Gething confirmsTeaser trailer for Oprah's interview with Meghan and HarryMeghan discusses 'falsehoods' and says 'a lot has been lost already' in new interview clipCoronavirus latest news headlines March 5 - Sixteen cases of new Covid-19 variant found in the UKpolice and air ambulance called to 'major incident' in RhonddaSplott immunisation centreMartin Lewis Explains How Most People Will Pay More In Income Tax - Despite Rishi Sunak Tax FreezeCoronavirus headlines on February 18Pentagon releases

Covid-19 strain "was at home all along". Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended Test and Trace after the six person carrying the variant was finally located after a five-day search.

More than one million people in the UK have received both doses of the coronavirus jab, new data shows.

direct to your inboxThe missing person who tested positive for a coronavirus 'variant of concern', first identified in Manaus, Brazil, has reportedly been found.Health officials were hunting for the unknown individual after six cases of the P1 variant were detected in England and Scotland towards the end of last week.One of the six cases could not be tracked because a form filled in on their arrival in the country had missing details.The missing individual has now been found after a five-day search and all their contacts have been traced, the BBC reports.On Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said the hunt for the missing person had been narrowed down to 379 households in the south east of England.Dr Susan Hopkins, of Public Health

The missing Brazil Covid variant patient has reportedly been found following a manhunt across England, the Mirror understands.

coronavirus has been found.Six cases of the new strain were identified in the country last weekend.Five of those who tested positive were told to self-isolate, but the location of the sixth person was not known.Earlier this week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the search was focusing on 300 households in the Gloucestershire area. They failed to fill in contact details on their test form and initially couldn’t be traced.

Matt Hancock unlawfully failed to publish details of more than 500 Covid contracts within the required time, the High Court has confirmed.

Boris Johnson still has no plan for reforming stricken social care, No10 admitted today, almost two years after he claimed it was ready.

Glasgow lighthouse lab, the UK Health Secretary said was confident travel restrictions would be lifted in time for the summer staycations across the UK.Hancock said: “I’m now more optimistic about having a great British summer than I have been at any time, thanks to the speed and the effectiveness of the vaccine rollout.”“By great British summer I absolutely mean people being able to enjoy travel across the whole of the UK.

Ministers are discussing plans to force NHS workers to have coronavirus vaccines, according to reports.

The Pfizer and Oxford vaccines are 'highly effective' at reducing Covid-19 hospitalisations, new data has revealed.

Want all the latest shocking news and views from all over the world straight into your inbox?We've got the best royal scoops, crime dramas and breaking stories - all delivered in that Daily Star style you love.Our great newsletters will give you all you need to know, from hard news to that bit of glamour you need every day. They'll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.You can sign up here - you won't regret it...Earlier today, Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College, earlier said that vaccines look “less potent” in light of the new strain.

urgent alert has been issued to find the other case after the test came back positive on February 14.The Brazilian strain has been designated “of concern” as it shares key mutations with the variant detected in South Africa, which is more transmissible than the original strain.Concerns have been raised vaccines may not be as effective against the variant.But Professor Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said jabs could be rapidly adapted.And Boris Johnson said: "We don't have any reason at the present time to think that our vaccines are ineffective against these new variants of all types."Public Health England "don't think that there is a threat to the wider public", he added.The Prime Minister said a "massive