COVID will be 'with us forever, but controlled', admits government adviser

Covid-19 lockdown linked to uptick in tobacco use: Study

A new study has found that pandemic-related anxiety, boredom, and irregular routines were cited as major drivers of increased nicotine and tobacco use during the initial Covid-19 lockdown. The findings of the study were published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. The research was led by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The study highlighted the ways that public health interventions and policies can better support quit attempts and harm reduction, both during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Decreased use, while less common, was prevalent among "social" tobacco users, who cited fewer interpersonal interactions during the lockdown and a fear of sharing products. At the community level, retail access impacted cigarette and ENDS use differently. While cigarettes were universally accessible in essential businesses, such as convenience stores and gas stations, access to preferred ENDS products was more limited, since "vape shops" and other specialty ENDS retailers were typically deemed non-essential and required to close or limit hours. This drove some ENDS users to order their products online, which often resulted in long wait times due to shipping delays, or product backorder as a result of high demand. As a result, some dual users of cigarettes and ENDS increased their use of readily-available cigarettes.

Science chief: Lifting lockdown must be done with ‘caution’

The Government's chief scientific adviser has said lockdown measures will need to be lifted with "caution" and led by data. Sir Patrick Vallance said it will be "crucial" to establish the trajectory of the Covid-19 outbreak and to "not jump ahead of it" as cases could rise again quickly. Report by Blairm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

PM: Evidence UK Covid variant has higher mortality rate

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says there is "some evidence" the UK Covid variant is associated with a "higher degree of mortality". The government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, added the new strain appeared 30-70% more transmissible than the original virus. Report by Alibhaiz. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn