Given that smoking famously causes lung disease, it came as a surprise in early 2020 when several studies suggested that smokers were underrepresented among patients with COVID-19. Smokers seemed to be protected from a disease that ravages the lungs. This apparent phenomenon became known as the “smokers’ paradox”.

We now know this is wrong. Indeed, smokers are 60%-80% more likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID, according to a recent study. But how did we come to believe in the extraordinary claim of the “smokers’ paradox” in the first place? Mark Shrime explains what went wrong with our thinking.

In the wake of the sentencing of the man who killed Sarah Everard, the UK government has introduced a strategy. The problem is it places the burden on women and girls to keep themselves safe, rather than addressing the causes of their lack of safety. And as the Conservative Party Conference discusses the country’s next steps, we also take a look at what the £20-a-week cut to universal credit will mean for hundreds of thousands of households. Watch out for our coverage of the conference later today.

Contact us here to have your event listed.

For sponsorship opportunities, email us here