Researchers from the University of Oxford on December 22 released findings from a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of the antiviral treatment molnupiravir against Covid-19 – the first treatment tested in the ongoing PANORAMIC (Platform Adaptive trial of NOvel antiviRals for eArly treatMent of COVID-19 In the Community) trial.
In their paper published in 'The Lancet', the researchers reported that molnupiravir did not reduce hospitalisations or deaths among higher risk, vaccinated adults with Covid-19 in the community.
The treatment was, however, associated with a faster recovery time and reduced viral detection and load – participants who received molnupiravir reported feeling better compared to those who received usual care.
Molnupiravir (brand name Lagevrio), the first treatment to be studied by PANORAMIC, was set up to identify which groups of higher risk people were most likely to benefit from new antiviral treatments for Covid-19. The study allows multiple antiviral drugs to be tested in parallel.
Chris Butler, professor of Primary Care in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and co-chief investigator of PANORAMIC, said, "Finding effective, safe and scalable early treatments for Covid-19 in the community is the next major frontier in our research response to the ongoing worldwide pandemic. It is in the community where treatments could have a massive reach and impact. But decisions about who to treat should always be based on evidence from rigorous clinical trials that involve people who would most likely be prescribed the drugs.
"The evidence PANORAMIC has produced about molnupiravir will guide treatment decisions for Covid-19 world-wide. It is rapidly generating critically important clinical evidence from within the pandemic to guide care during the pandemic itself, in this case determining effects of molnupiravir among people who are almost all vaccinated.
He added that one must not forget "the other ongoing pandemic of antibiotic resistance", which partly stems from using antimicrobial drugs at scale before rigorous clinical trials were held to find out who really benefited from the treatment and who did not.
"The PANORAMIC team is also doing the necessary trials and gathering evidence about these treatments before we go straight to widespread use," Butler said.
Professor Richard Hobbs, head of Oxford Primary Care and co-trial lead, said, "These key findings from 25,000 people in this first PANORAMIC outcome show that the majority of patient groups at moderate to high risk of worse COVID outcomes gained only symptomatic improvement with molnupiravir.
"The low overall rates of serious outcomes reinforces the ongoing importance of the COVID vaccination programme in reducing death and hospitalisation, with no extra benefit with molnupiravir."
Study participants were within five days of symptoms onset and either aged over 50 years in good health or between 18-50 with underlying health conditions that made them clinically more vulnerable.
A total of 25,786 study participants were randomly assigned to receive either molnupiravir or the usual standard of NHS care.
50 (0.4%) participants experienced serious adverse events in the molnupiravir group and 45 (0.4%) in usual care.
Patients in a sub-group treated with molnupiravir showed reduced viral detection and viral load on Day 7.
Recruitment of people from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds into clinical trials has been important in ensuring audiences likely to benefit from treatment are represented.
According to professor Mahendra G Patel OBE, PANORAMIC’s Pharmacy, and Diversity, and Inclusivity Lead, "We are determined to ensure that we are as inclusive as possible in our recruitment. To this effect, we have been working closely with national and local communities and religious organisations, alongside national and regional pharmacy networks to help make the PANORAMIC trial more visible and easily accessible to as many people as possible, including from ethnically diverse communities.
"I’m delighted to see how our recruitment strategy has been hugely successful across all ethnicities and areas of high deprivation. This is an incredible testament to all those involved for their efforts in supporting the fastest and largest recruiting randomised interventional clinical trial in the world."
Paul Little, professor of Primary Care Research at the University of Southampton and co-Chief Investigator of PANORAMIC, said, "PANORAMIC is one of the most remarkable studies to have come from primary care, not only in highly innovative recruitment methods during an ongoing pandemic, but in providing timely, clear evidence for patients, their doctors and policy makers for a new antiviral drug - demonstrating that molnupiravir is effective in reducing viral load and helping symptoms, but with no benefit in reducing hospital admissions in a largely vaccinated population."
Professor Kerry Hood, director of the Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University and PANORAMIC co-lead, said, "The PANORAMIC trial has been a showcase for what we can achieve when people work together to create the evidence for treatment for everyone, no matter who you are or where you live. We have provided answers about molnupiravir in record time and have shown what can be delivered rapidly in primary care-based trials across all four nations of the UK."
Prof Nick Lemoine, Medical Director of the NIHR Clinical Research Network, said, "PANORAMIC is an important NIHR-funded trial that enabled the rapid production of evidence and information about how well this new antiviral works.
"The commendable pace and scale at which this study recruited in at-risk groups shows how we can adapt to make future trials more accessible to a more diverse group of people. It is also testament to the GPs and researchers involved in this trial that we were able to recruit so fast in such record numbers."
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, pro-vice-chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham and study co-author, said, "While molnupiravir was originally found to work well to reduce hospitalisation in patients with Covid, these were unvaccinated patients.
"This latest research has repeated the exercise in the highly vaccinated population, demonstrating that the vaccine protection is so strong that there is no obvious benefit from the drug in terms of further reducing hospitalisation and deaths.
"However, symptom duration and virus shedding are both markedly reduced, and we have to wait much longer to know if there will be any discernible effects on long Cpvid.
"This study is an excellent example of why large-scale, rigorous, prospective trials like this are so essential in assessing the effectiveness of drugs to ensure that they are only used in patients where there will be a tangible benefit to their care."
PANORAMIC is led by the University of Oxford and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The study will now continue to investigate new antiviral medications such as Paxlovid. For more information or to enrol, please visit www.panoramictrial.org.
THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.
Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.
Families have waited years for this part of the inquiry, which will look at key decisions including why hospital patients were moved quickly into care homes in March 2020 without being tested for Covid.
Pete Weatherby KC, representing bereaved families, told the inquiry that a top government official had called what happened a "generational slaughter" in care homes.
"We call out the callous way that family members were treated by politicians and policy makers, referring to them as bed blockers and people nearing the end regardless of the virus," he said.
The inquiry heard how care homes were told to take patients from hospitals to free up beds. Between early March and early June 2020, around 25,000 patients were moved to care homes, many without Covid tests.
Government advice on April 2, 2020 said "negative tests are not required" before patients went to care homes. This only changed on April 15, 2020.
A 2022 High Court ruling found this policy was unlawful because it failed to consider the risk to vulnerable care home residents.
Geraldine Treacy's mother Margaret Stewart died in a care home in Northern Ireland. She said: "The home had to accept people from the hospital, who hadn't been tested and subsequently they became very sick."
She described visiting her mother while wearing protective gear: "She couldn't see who I was and she was very, very upset. She was 87 and she was screaming for her mum."
Care workers described being left without proper protective equipment and testing kits early in the pandemic. One worker in Durham said their home lost 25 residents in three weeks.
"Once Covid was in our care home, it spread like wildfire and we could not do anything about it," they said. "At one point, 67 out of 87 residents tested positive."
Staff had to help families say goodbye over video calls. One worker recalled holding a resident's hand up to an iPad screen so his daughter could pretend to hold hands through the screen as he died.
The inquiry will also examine why "do not resuscitate" orders were placed on some elderly residents without their agreement, and policies that stopped families visiting for months.
Maureen Lewis, who manages St Ives Lodge care home in northeast London, lost seven residents to Covid. She remains angry about former health secretary Matt Hancock's claim in May 2020 that the government had "thrown a protective ring around care homes".
"There was no ring of protection for care homes at all," she was quoted as saying. "He needs to take accountability for the decisions he made."
Hancock will give evidence on Wednesday (2). Bereaved families say they want him to "tell the truth" about decisions made during the pandemic.
Jean Adamson, whose father Aldrick died with Covid in April 2020, called the hospital discharge policy "reckless".
"The way that my father and tens of thousands of other care home residents were sacrificed really gets me because I think it smacks of ageism and disability discrimination," Adamson said. The inquiry is expected to last five weeks, with 55 witnesses giving evidence. The final report will not be published until next year.
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Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.
Police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation, but did not name Bob Vylan or Irish rap band Kneecap, who appeared on the same stage and also criticised Israel.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England where the festival is held, said on X late on Saturday.
"There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech," Starmer said in a statement. "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence."
The festival organisers criticised the chanting by Bob Vylan, which comprises the guitarist-singer with the stage name Bobby Vylan and a drummer known as Bobbie Vylan.
"Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," it said on Sunday.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain condemned the "inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed" on stage.
Bob Vylan's band members did not respond to a request for comment.
Starmer also criticised the BBC, which transmits much of the festival live, for showing the performance. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast," he said.
The BBC said some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive.
"During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language," a spokesperson said.
"We have no plans to make the performance available on demand."
Bob Vylan's show on the festival's West Holts stage took place just before controversial Irish rap trio Kneecap played to a huge crowd, leading chants against Starmer and also taking aim at Israel.
During the show, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it."
Known by the stage name Mo Chara, he was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert. He has denied the charge.
Starmer had said it was ""not appropriate" for Kneecap to play at the festival.
A senior member of his government, health secretary Wes Streeting, earlier on Sunday criticised the chants by Bob Vylan but added that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
Political commentator Ash Sarkar said it was typical of punk musicians to spark controversy.
"Don't book punk bands if you don't want them to do punk stuff," said Sarkar, a contributing editor to Novara Media, a leftist media organisation.
(Reuters)
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A flooded street near Station Road after heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025.
AT LEAST 45 people have died in Pakistan over the past few days due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.
The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.
According to the disaster management authority, 14 of those deaths occurred in the Swat Valley. Media reports said a flash flood in the valley swept away families who were on a riverbank.
In Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province bordering India, 13 people have died since Wednesday. Among them were eight children who were killed when walls or roofs collapsed during the heavy rainfall. The remaining adults died in flash floods.
Another eleven deaths linked to the monsoon rains were reported in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
The national meteorological service has warned that the likelihood of heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding will remain high until at least Saturday.
Last month, severe storms led to the deaths of at least 32 people in Pakistan. The country has experienced several extreme weather events in recent months, including strong hailstorms in the spring.
Pakistan, home to around 240 million people, is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and is witnessing an increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions.
(With inputs from AFP)
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The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record
Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler
Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks
The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.
Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.
Amber health alerts and travel impact
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has kept an amber heat-health alert in place across London, the East of England, the South East, South West and East Midlands. The alert, in effect since Friday, warns of increased strain on health services and a higher risk of death among vulnerable groups.
Yellow alerts have been issued for the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, where the impact is expected to be less severe.
The high temperatures may cause travel delays, particularly in the areas covered by the amber alert.
Events issue heat guidance
Glastonbury Festival organisers have advised attendees to leave the site before early Monday to avoid the rising heat. Wimbledon is also expected to experience its hottest opening day in the tournament's history.
Night-time temperatures will offer little relief, staying around 20°C into Tuesday in many southern regions.
Wildfire threat in London
The London Fire Brigade has described the wildfire risk as “severe”. Assistant Commissioner Thomas Goodall said the combination of intense heat and low rainfall in recent weeks has created dangerous conditions for fires to spread quickly.
Cooler in Scotland and Northern Ireland
While much of England swelters, Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to remain relatively cool, with temperatures between 17°C and 22°C and rain moving in later on Monday.
This is the UK’s second official heatwave of the year. A heatwave is defined by the Met Office when specific regional temperature thresholds—between 25°C and 28°C—are met for three consecutive days.
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Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.
All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told NDTV that the investigation was examining “all angles”, including sabotage, in response to a specific question about the possibility.
“It has never happened before that both engines have shut off together,” Mohol said in the same interview, referring to speculation about a dual-engine failure.
He said it would be premature to draw conclusions before the final report is released.
A team investigating the crash began extracting and analysing data from the plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder this week to reconstruct the events leading to the crash.
Air India said the aircraft was “well-maintained” and that the pilots were experienced.
“It (the plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investigation into it... It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage. The CCTV footage is being reviewed and all angles are being assessed... several agencies are working on it,” Mohol told NDTV.
Mohol said the extraction and analysis of the data was underway at a new state-of-the-art laboratory in Delhi.