What the papers said in the week ending 14 January 2021
This has been a week in which older women have been celebrated:
Eleanor Wadsworth was one of the 160 young women who flew spitfires to the front in World War 2. She lived to be 103 RAF ‘Spitfire woman’ Eleanor Wadsworth dies aged 103 | UK news | The Guardian
Grace Robertson, a sensitive photographer, captured the essence of the 1950s – She has died aged 90 Grace Robertson, photography pioneer, dies at 90 | UK news | The Guardian
Agnes Keleti – lives on beyond 100 – in the 1950s she was an Olympic champion gymnast, having fled the Nazis and survived the Holocaust Agnes Keleti: Olympic great who fled Nazis and Soviets smashes 100 barrier | Olympic Games | The Guardian
Dame Joan Bakewell (87) is considering taking the government to court to contest its decision to delay the second dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine from 3 weeks to 12 weeks (or longer) in its attempt to reach more people within the supply available. The licence was given on the basis of a 3 week delay. Joan Bakewell threatens legal action over delays to second Covid vaccine dose | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Covid 19 has been killing more people in these weeks than it did in April. It is older people who are most at risk – 90 % of deaths occurring to people over 65yrs Coronavirus (COVID-19) weekly insights – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
- The newspapers have carried the main story and pointed out that every life lost is the end of an important life. The people chosen by the Guardian to feature included only three out of 21 who were over 70. UK coronavirus deaths pass 100,000 after 1,564 reported in one day | World news | The Guardian
- The pressures on health services are such that schemes have been invented to clear hospital beds by discharging patients with covid to specially resourced care home – not working ‘Hot homes’ scheme to ease strain on NHS falls well short of target | Society | The Guardian
- Other patients may be discharged to hotels: Hospital patients to be sent to hotels to free up beds for critical Covid-19 cases | Hospitals | The Guardian
- The pressures on staff are such that levels of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress are high: Nearly half of NHS critical care staff report PTSD, depression or anxiety | NHS | The Guardian
Economic effects of the covid crisis are greater on families and individuals who are already amongst the poorest.
- They are spending more on heating and food, with diminished resources. The well-off have been spending less and saving money for the future. Publications • Resolution Foundation
- Good intentions to provide meals for vulnerable school children have foundered on maladministration – Hopefully this will be corrected M&S to bolster free school meal vouchers with extra £5 | News | The Grocer
Other matters:
Even a small alcoholic drink raises the risk of atrial fibrillation: A study of 108,000 people aged 24 – 97 in Sweden, Norway, Italy, Finland and Denmark found this:
- Atrial fibrillation makes stroke and other crises more likely. Study finds one small alcoholic drink a day raises risk of irregular heartbeat | Heart disease | The Guardian
- One small alcoholic drink a day is linked to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (escardio.org)
- Despite claims to the contrary, received wisdom is that avoiding alcohol is best for health Occasional drinkers not healthier than teetotallers, myth busting stroke study shows | The Independent | The Independent
More is understood on the interaction between conditions in the oceans and our weather. Climate crisis: record ocean heat in 2020 supercharged extreme weather | Environment | The Guardian
Awareness of the hazards associated with contact sports and the genesis of dementia and other neurological conditions has encouraged families to create a new charity ‘Head for Change’ to lobby for improvements
- Families of former football and rugby players launch dementia charity | Concussion in sport | The Guardian
- Head for Change – Pioneering positive change for brain health
David Jolley
