Claudia Hammond revisits a discussion she recorded in the summer of 2019 in Hong Kong, talking to some of the key players in the SARS epidemic in 2003. She hears how the novel virus was first spotted and how the medical and global health community rallied round in the fight to conquer it. The similarities with the situation today are startling, but have we learnt the key lessons from how SARS was handled? Claudia also speaks to Professor David Heymann at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to hear what the Hong Kong effort can teach us in the war against Covid-19. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alexandra Feachem (Image: A security guard in Hong Kong during the SARS epidemic in 2003. Photo credit: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images.)

Health Check

What have we learnt from SARS?

Claudia Hammond talks to Professor David Nutt about his new book on the science of alcohol and hears some top tips for cutting down. She hears why alcohol is the second biggest cause of death worldwide and why managing how much you drink could add months or even years to your life. Claudia talks to Dr Terence Leung of University College London who has developed an app that could prevent deaths in newborns by more easily detecting jaundice. Finally we hear from people who are finding personal digital assistants like Alexa may be good for their mental and physical health. Claudia is joined in the studio by Clare Wilson, Medical Reporter from the New Scientist. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alexandra Feachem (Image: Man refusing to drink whiskey in a bar. Photo credit: Serezniy/Getty Images.)

Alcohol: How drinking less will help you live longer

Claudia Hammond hears the latest from the US who have so far lagged behind other countries in testing for coronavirus. She also talks to mathematician Dr Hannah Fry about how numbers are playing such an important part in the fight against Covid-19. Finally, she talks to cough expert professor Jacky Smith at the University of Manchester, about the issue of chronic cough. For some people, coughs with no obvious cause, can go on for years and severely disrupt lives. However, a new drug that has just been trialled has shown promising results, as Claudia discovers. Claudia is joined in the studio by family physician Dr Ann Robinson for her take on all the above. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alexandra Feachem (Image: Programming code with matrix and abstract technical background. Photo credit: Gopixa/Getty Images)

The maths of coronavirus

As the Covid-19 virus spreads through Iran, Italy and Tenerife we answer listener questions about how to reduce the risk of getting infected with the virus. Many people are buying face masks - but do they work? And do hand-gels get rid of the virus as much as regular handwashing, with soap and water? Professor Jonathan Ball from the University of Nottingham in the UK is our expert. Life expectancy in rich countries has been rising for years. But a new report shows that for the first time in a century life expectancy growth in England has stalled. And for women living in the poorest areas outside London life expectancy has been declining. Professor Sir Michael Marmot from University College London is a world authority on the social determinants of health and he was shocked by the new data. Health Check producer Paula McGrath has been peeling back the skin to learn about human anatomy – at a life-drawing class at the Royal College of Physicians in London this week. And - if life is so busy that people forget to take regular medications – why a pill organiser might cause unexpected problems for some patients instead of making life easier. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath (Image: Life drawings by Paula McGrath. Photo credit: BBC)

How life drawing helps us to understand anatomy

We hear what could be behind the rapid spread of the coronavirus on board a cruise ship near Japan. Dr Nathalie MacDermott from Kings College, London suggests an investigation should look at the air filtration and sanitation systems and whether a “deep-clean” was carried out in communal areas. She also says sheer exhaustion could be behind the rising number of healthcare workers infected in China – one mistake when removing personal protective equipment could infect them. A new trial of group check-ups for pregnant women in the UK aims to help them support each other – as well as receive the best care from midwives. Some women are at risk of giving birth to smaller, premature babies – and it’s hoped that the Pregnancy Circles will help to reduce this risk. Our six-months-pregnant reporter Bobbie Lakhera goes along to a session in north London. Technology companies are developing artificial intelligence to detect our moods so that we can interact with “virtual agents” on our computers. But reading facial expressions like humans do is a huge challenge for current technologies. We hear from a leading expert about how the expressions on our faces don’t always tally with how we are feeling. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath (Image: Quarantined passengers look out from their balconies on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama. Photo credit: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)

Why is Covid spreading so quickly on cruise ships?

Many people with autistic spectrum disorder learn techniques to overcome their difficulties interacting with others. The first study that has looked at the consequences of these compensatory strategies reveals some benefits but also significant downsides. The consequences can be stress, low self-esteem, mental illness and misdiagnosis. Claudia talks to lead researcher Professor Francesca Happé from King’s College London and Eloise Stark, a woman with autism. A new research programme at Imperial College London is investigating the link between obesity and infertility in men. Madeleine Finlay explores why weight gain and other factors of modern life might be influencing men’s sperm health. Tick-borne Lyme disease is on the rise in the northern hemisphere. Lyme disease can develop into a serious illness. It is hard to diagnosis early and delayed diagnosis means lengthy treatment and recovery. Dr Mollie Jewett at the University of Central Florida is working on a much faster means of diagnosis, and a more effective treatment. Deborah Cohen meets Dr Jewett and her ticks. Graham Easton is in the Health Check studio to talk about links between hearing loss and dementia, and the worrying spread of bacteria resistant to carbapenems, one of the most important kinds of antibiotic drugs. (Photo caption: A young woman standing in the middle of a crowded street – credit: Getty Images) Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond with comments from Dr Graham Easton. Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker

Autism: the problems of fitting in

Claudia Hammond visits the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition. Every year a minority of births goes wrong and the baby is deprived of oxygen, which can lead to long-term brain damage and conditions such as cerebral palsy. Early treatment can reduce the likelihood of permanent disability or even death, so a team at University College London have now developed a new portable device which uses harmless infra-red to detect signs of brain injury in newborn babies, minutes after birth. It is called Cyril and consultant neurologist Subhabrata Mitra and Dr Ilias Tachtsidis, Reader in Biomedical Engineering, demonstrate it to Claudia. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a well-known problem, with one insidious thriving place being medical implants, where they form impenetrable biofilms. But there could be a solution from scientists at Nottingham University. Kim Hardie, a molecular microbiologist, is part of a team that has developed special slippery coatings for biomedical devices, such as catheters, that stop bacteria attaching and sticking in the first place. It is hoped these super biomaterials will help in the fight against super bugs, which has huge implications for infection rates in hospitals globally. It is estimated that one in nine people experience some form of breathlessness, which is most common in conditions such as heart failure, lung disease, panic disorder and Parkinson’s. But there are also significant numbers of people who suffer from breathlessness which cannot be explained. A team at Oxford University hypothesise this might be driven by networks in the brain. So using brain scans and computational modelling, Breathe Oxford has examined breathlessness in athletes, healthy people and those with chronic lung disease, seeking clues as to why some individuals become disabled by their breathlessness, while others with the same lung function live normal healthy lives. Claudia discusses this relationship between breathlessness and brain perception with lead researcher and anaesthetist Professor Kyle Pattinson and research scientist Sarah Finnegan. They also, using a ‘Steppatron’, demonstrate what it is like to live with a chronic lung condition. Mirror-touch synaesthesia is a rare type of synaesthesia where people can actually feel something that they can see being done to someone else. For example they might seem to feel a brush on their hand whilst watching someone else having their hand stroked. Dr Natalie Bowling from the University of Sussex researches this condition. It is estimated that 30% of the population could experience some form of synaesthesia and Claudia also meets Kaitlyn Hova, a violinist with visual-auditory synaesthesia. She demonstrates her violin, which lights up with different colours according to how she sees the notes. (Photo caption: Members of the MetaboLight team working together to develop novel light technologies to assess brain injury severity in newborns within hours after birth - credit: MetaboLight) Producer: Helena Selby

Lighting the brain after birth

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

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