THREE POSITIVE HEALTH UPDATES

At a time where the news can be worrying, here are some reasons to feel hopeful

CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO SURVIVE NOW. During its peak, back in April, six per cent of people who were hospitalised with COVID-19 tragically died, but thanks to our ever-increasing knowledge about how to treat the illness, by June, that figure was just 1.5 per cent. Since the pandemic hit, medics and scientists have worked tirelessly to find effective treatments, and it seems all those efforts are paying off.

DEATH RATES ARE

BACK TO ‘NORMAL’

While the daily figures have dropped, any number of deaths is too many. But take heart that the weekly number of fatalities from all causes registered in the UK has fallen below the fiveyear average for the first time since mid-March. Eight fewer people than usual died in the week ending 19 June, compared with the previous five years.

MANY OF US MAY HAVE GOOD IMMUNITY TO COVID Scientists now think that up to 75 per cent of people who are living with a coronavirus sufferer may have developed immunity. In a study, these people didn’t have antibodies but they had developed T-cells. These are made in response to an infection – and protect you long after. The fact people have them means they probably had a mild form of COVID-19 themselves, without realising. Another scientist has said that people may be naturally immune after having other coronaviruses, like a cold or flu too. In other words, lots of us may already have a “background level” of protection. Watch this space!