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Millions of people in the UK had their Christmas plans abruptly cancelled when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new set of coronavirus restrictions for the country. Health Secretary Matt Hancock later said the spread of coronavirus was “out of control”. London and parts of the south-east have been placed into Tier 4 regulations, which prohibit people from leaving their homes for non-essential purposes including Christmas gatherings. In the rest of the country, multi-household “bubbles” will now only be able to gather on Christmas Day itself.
The new rules are a response to a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, which has been recently identified by researchers and is thought to be driving increased rates of transmission in parts of the UK. Usually such mutations are nothing to worry about, but as genomics researcher Lucy van Dorp explains in a Q&A, this new variant has a number of features that could raise concern and warrant further study. Where do these mutations
come from, and what does it mean for a vaccine? Van Dorp has investigated tens of thousands of coronavirus genomes so far this year to answer these questions and more. We’ll have more coverage of this new development in the days to come.
Johnson’s press conference alongside his chief scientific advisors was accompanied by the standard set of baffling graphs the British public have become so used to after many long months of this pandemic. How could they lift their data visualisation game? As it turns out, they could learn a lot from children. Comparing graphs drawn by kids with those created by government bodies and media organisations, a group of researchers has made a list of
dos and don'ts when it comes to making your data understood.
And if you’re reconsidering your Christmas plans, why not make the meal a little more environmentally friendly? Here are some tips.
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Megan Clement
Commissioning Editor, COVID-19
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Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock
Lucy van Dorp, UCL
All your questions about the new coronavirus variant, answered by a microbial genomics researcher.
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Kids know…
PathomP
Craig Anderson, University of Glasgow; Emily Granger, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Lucy Teece, University of Leicester; Maria Dunbar, University of Zürich
There have been some shockingly bad graphs circulating during the pandemic.
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Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock
Ximena Schmidt, Brunel University London; Christian Reynolds, City, University of London; Sarah Bridle, University of Manchester
The most eco-friendly way to cook your meals revealed.
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Politics + Society
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Tom Buchanan, University of Westminster
Calling out false information on social media may do more harm than good.
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Tomasz Mickiewicz, Aston University
Communism, Catholicism and economic strain collide to create a perfect storm.
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Paul McFarlane, UCL
Even after years of delay, the arguments continue about what should be made public about this scandal.
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Rebecca Wray, Leeds Beckett University
After accusations flew between the two influencers, we would do well to remind ourselves why there’s so much overlap in this genre
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Health + Medicine
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Rob Reddick, The Conversation
Experts from across The Conversation assess the work that's helped us reach vaccine roll-out, how this could play out, and the risk of vaccine hesitancy.
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Amy Elizabeth Harwood, Coventry University; Chris Seenan, Glasgow Caledonian University; Garry Tew, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Leg pain while walking is a common symptom of peripheral artery disease.
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Arts + Culture
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Richard Ovenden, University of Oxford
The archive of David Cornwell's work at the Bodleian Library in Oxford also reveals the depth of his collaboration with his wife Jane.
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Environment + Energy
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Simon Evans, Anglia Ruskin University
India's last cheetah was killed 70 years ago. Should the country import a different subspecies from Namibia?
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Business + Economy
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Jane Parry, University of Southampton
2020 has been the greatest ever global experiment in working from home. The pandemic will be the catalyst the flexible work discussion really needed.
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Featured events
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East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB11PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Anglia Ruskin University
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Online, York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of York
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East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB11PT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — Anglia Ruskin University
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Lecture Theatre 1, Richmond Building, Portland Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3DE, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Portsmouth
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