Could children defy their parents if vaccines are rolled out to under-16s? Can the UK cope with the current rise in Covid cases? And are booster jabs now inevitable heading into winter? ITV News presenter Lucrezia Millarini finds out what you need to know from our outgoing Science Editor Tom Clarke. In his final podcast appearance, Tom explains the government's current stance on jabs for 12 to 15 year olds and the international evidence of vaccines' impact on children. And he goes on to deliver ...
Sep 02, 2021•18 min
Does the idea of a needle injection make your skin crawl? And what impact does the common phobia have on people not getting the jab? ITV News presenter Lucrezia Millarini gets answers from Professor Daniel Freeman, who led a major pandemic study into needle phobia, and Dave Smithson from Anxiety UK, who offers ways to overcome the fear experienced by one in four adults. The pair share the shuddering feelings that build up in sufferers when faced with a jab, the origins of the phobia and the vari...
Aug 25, 2021•14 min
Claims that vaccines are causing miscarriages are shocking people online - so what’s the truth? Are pregnant women or unborn children at any risk when it comes to the jabs? And how can you search for answers without googling yourself down a worry-filled rabbit hole? ITV News presenter and reporter Faye Barker welcomes back Dr Raj Mathur, the chair of the British Fertility Society, to set these matters straight once again. Raj explains why selective statistics are fuelling the myths online and ou...
Aug 20, 2021•17 min
The summer holidays are here, and the travel rules have changed again. Seven countries have been bumped onto the green list, India is set to come off the red list and travel between France and England will become quarantine-free once more for those who are double jabbed. In this episode, Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland joins ITV News Presenter Lucrezia Millarini to discuss what you need to know before jetting off, from travel insurance to pre-departure PCR tests. Plus, Rory answers listeners qu...
Aug 06, 2021•24 min
England’s so-called 'Freedom Day’ is fast approaching with almost all Covid restrictions set to be lifted. While some are happy about being able to party in-person, many of the 3.8 million people who are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable are feeling anxious. In this episode, ITV News presenter Lucrezia Millarini is joined by Health Editor Emily Morgan to discuss what the new changes are and what this means for those who have spent the past year shielding. We hear from Jane Leahy who is ...
Jul 16, 2021•14 min
Why do vaccine fertility myths persist? How can you tell fact from fiction? And what is the advice for pregnant and breastfeeding women when it comes to getting the vaccine? Dr Raj Mathur, the head of the British Fertility Society and a working fertility consultant, tells ITV News presenter Faye Barker what you need to know in this episode. He busts the main myths doing the rounds on social media and explains where to look for verified information when it comes to vaccine or fertility concerns. ...
Jul 14, 2021•15 min
How widespread is the Delta variant and what is the threat of the new reported Delta Plus virus? ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke tells presenter Lucrezia Millarini what you need to know, before explaining why wastewater from our toilets and other sewage could provide an invaluable and cost effective alert system for new variants. You can view more of Tom's report here: https://www.itv.com/news/2021-06-23/covid-dont-turn-your-nose-up-at-using-waste-water-as-way-of-tracking-coronavirus-outbreak...
Jun 25, 2021•18 min
How big a problem is Long Covid among children? What are the signs and symptoms to look out for? And are young sufferers getting the help they need? ITV News presenter Faye Barker finds out what you need to know from Health Editor Emily Morgan as they're joined by Sammie Mcfarland, who helped found a Long Covid Kids support group while she and her daughter continued to battle the sustained dire after-effects of the virus. We also hear from two young people who have been suffering badly with Long...
Jun 22, 2021•20 min
Millions of people across the UK are returning or preparing to return to very different working environments - so what are your rights to protect yourself from the virus? Do you have a legally-protected right to change your working hours or days and are you entitled to relocate where you do your work? And can you demand to not work next to a colleague who has not been vaccinated? Plus, if you’re an employer, how do you deal with someone who is refusing to return to work? Kate Palmer, HR expert f...
Jun 16, 2021•17 min
The prime minister has confirmed Freedom Day will be pushed back until July 19. In this episode, recorded a few days before the PM's announcement, Science Editor Tom Clarke explained to Faye Barker why scientists advising the government were desperate for a delay. Central to the case for a delay is the rise of the Delta (formerly Indian) variant, and Tom gives his expertise on whether the race for vaccinations could prevent its continued spread and the measures the government is taking to avoid ...
Jun 11, 2021•17 min
We asked our audience on social media to let us know their biggest concerns at this stage of the pandemic and the response was overwhelming. So in this episode Lucrezia Millarini finds out what you need to know by running them past Professor Anthony Harnden, who serves both as a key adviser to the government on the vaccine rollout and on the frontline as a GP. He responds to concerns about the June 21 restrictions, the threat of Long Covid, travel worries and outlines why vaccinated people still...
Jun 04, 2021•18 min
Does the idea of getting an unprompted hug from a friend in public make you feel uneasy? Will we ever shake hands with strangers again? And will mask wearing outlast the pandemic? ITV News presenter Faye Barker shares her personal experience of awkwardness in public and gets helpful advice from Dr Nilufar Ahmed, a behavioural psychologist from the University of Bristol. The pair also discuss ways of dealing with friends and family who are less willing to stick to the rules and, as a summer of po...
Jun 01, 2021•14 min
The long months of lockdown have forced the closure of events, nightlife, and social gatherings for everyone. But for LGBT+ people they've threatened the future of spaces that are a safe haven, providing a vital community, emotional support and helping to validate identities. So, as society starts to open up again, what legacy could the pandemic leave on these marginalised communities? ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand hears from the co-founder of queer club night Gal Pals, Scarlett Langdon, who exp...
May 28, 2021•20 min
"I don't think I do work from home, I think I live at work." For more than a year, many people normally found in offices and other work places have been forced to endure or embrace a very different way of working during the pandemic. But, like it or loathe it, is this era of mass working from home coming to an end? Faye Barker talks to Harriet Minter, author of WFH: How To Build A Career You Love When You're Not In The Office, about the future of work, how to overcome the challenges of remote wo...
May 26, 2021•24 min
With the number of so-called 'Indian variant cases' on the rise, ITV News Presenter Lucrezia Millarini puts your questions to our Science Editor Tom Clarke. Cases of the B.1.617.2 variant, first detected in India, jumped by more than 2,000 in a week in mid-May. So should we be worried by the rise in cases, is the vaccine as effective against this variant, and what does this all mean for the planned easing of lockdown in England on June 21?
May 21, 2021•20 min
In this special podcast, Dr Amir Khan, the star of TV's GPs Behind Closed Doors, reveals the key concerns he's been receiving from patients at his practice since the restrictions eased on May 17. He gives ITV News presenter Kylie Pentelow his advice for dealing with anxieties at this stage of the pandemic, how he handles patients still waiting on key surgery and what young people he's spoken to have been most concerned about. The author of The Doctor Will See You Now also tells Kylie how she can...
May 19, 2021•20 min
Life in lockdown has triggered many anxieties so, as restrictions ease, how can you emerge with a healthier mind and body? Renee McGregor helps anxiety sufferers on a daily basis, specialising in sports and eating disorders, and has worked with Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth teams. In this episode she tells Kylie Pentelow why a change to the way people think can alter their feelings and behaviours and present a more honest view of themselves to the world rather than what's projected by so ...
May 16, 2021•17 min
The divorce rate has spiked, online searches to get advice on ending relationships have soared and it's a rare couple who haven't felt a strain or encountered new challenges while in lockdown, whether they've been kept apart or stuck together 24/7. So, for this episode, TV psychologist and relationship coach Jo Hemmings tells ITV News presenter Faye Barker what you need to know to protect your love life as restrictions start to ease. But what about those who have been searching for love in the t...
May 12, 2021•18 min
Following the announcement that people under the age of 40 will be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke answers your questions on the matter.
May 07, 2021•17 min
Could all staff at care homes be forced to have the vaccine? Should families get more access rights to visit their loved ones? And is enough being done to care for the nation's carers? Lucrezia Millarini puts those burning questions and more to ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand, who has won awards for his work uncovering the Covid crisis in care homes since the start of the pandemic. Paul examines the debate on vaccination from both sides, shares why some staff remain hesitant to get jabbed despite ...
May 06, 2021•18 min
With soaring infection rates and deaths in the hundreds of thousands, India has swiftly become the centre of the world's focus on the pandemic at its worst. For this special episode, Ria Chatterjee is joined by fellow ITV News Reporter Sangita Lal and ITV News's Rundown presenter Rishi Davda to discuss how things have got so bad for the country in such a short space of time - and what the UK is doing to help. Sangita shares what she's learned from talking to doctors across the country, while Ris...
Apr 30, 2021•21 min
After interviewing those stricken by grief in a pandemic which is ravaging her nation, Indian journalist Barkha Dutt has now experienced the pain herself with the death of her father. This powerful interview with Julie Etchingham for ITV's News At Ten was recorded just hours later. Barkha wanted to speak out about the situation in her country and send a clear warning that the desperate scenes in India could have global ramifications. Listen to her extraordinary and very personal testimony....
Apr 28, 2021•9 min
Compassion. Empathy. Understanding. When the issue of vaccine hesitancy is discussed they're often in short supply. ITV News Northern Reporter Sangita Lal attempts to challenge that in the latest edition of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know as she explores the reasons why some ethnic minorities are still, despite some recent improvements, reluctant to get the jab. She's joined by Dr Shehla Imtiaz-Umer, a GP who is part of the British Islamic Medical Association, and Sham Lal, who is an Assistan...
Apr 27, 2021•17 min
Can our vaccines handle the various variants that have emerged at this stage of the pandemic? Science Editor Tom Clarke tells Lucrezia Millarini what you need to know on the new threat of the Indian variant and how all the major vaccines are adapting to protect us. He explains why the tweaked vaccines can be fast-tracked without safety fears before the pair share in the "best news" that's emerged for a long time as more evidence shows the vaccines' ability to stave off infections....
Apr 23, 2021•17 min
They're the cause of furious arguments but appear closer than ever before. So why all the fuss about Covid passports? How close are we to getting them, what will they look like and will you need one to go to the pub or club? UK Editor Paul Brand gives Lucrezia Millarini all the answers and much more in this episode, to leave you with everything you need to know. Paul also explains the difference between domestic and international passports, and uses his political know how to predict exactly when...
Apr 20, 2021•16 min
What are the signs and symptoms of the blood clots that have been linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine? Science Editor Tom Clarke gets the answers from the authority on the subject: Prof Marie Scully, who first spotted the rare side effects in a patient at University College London Hospital. She explains to Tom how her medical breakthrough has already changed the way patients are being treated, and outlines why these blood clots are so rare and differ from other clots experienced by users of the pi...
Apr 16, 2021•15 min
While the spectre of death has loomed over all our lives during this pandemic, the topic remains one of the hardest to talk about, both in polite and private conversation. In this podcast episode, Kylie Pentelow talks to Jane Murray from Marie Curie and the charity's ambassador Jim Carter, the actor best known for his role as Carson from Downton Abbey, about how to sensitively break this taboo. All three share examples of what to say and not say to someone who is grieving, the most appropriate o...
Apr 13, 2021•21 min
After the announcement that under-30s will be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine over rare blood clot safety concerns, Mary Nightingale puts all your key questions to Science Editor Tom Clarke. What should people under-30 already jabbed with AstraZeneca do about their second dose? What are the symptoms of blood clots and could aspirins help? Is vaccine mixing safe and were side effects inevitable? Tom offers his guidance on all of the above and a lot more....
Apr 08, 2021•24 min
More than one million people are estimated to be suffering the many symptoms of Long Covid, with tens of thousands battling it for a year. Channel 5 reporter Ruth Liptrot is among them and joins ITV News Presenter Faye Barker and Health Editor Emily Morgan for this special episode of the podcast. So what symptoms are associated with Long Covid, why does it affect women more than men and what's being done to help the many people suffering despite never being in hospital with the virus?...
Apr 01, 2021•19 min
The end of lockdown will be widely cheered in public, but for many it'll worsen privately held anxieties about the steps to re-enter social life. Does the prospect of heading to crowded supermarkets, travelling on packed commuter trains or huddling together with strangers at an all-standing gig fill you with worry? You're certainly not alone, and help is here. Kylie Pentelow speaks to Alex and Dave from the charity Anxiety UK to discuss the kinds of fears the end of lockdown can trigger and what...
Mar 24, 2021•15 min
