PublicHealthMatters 
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a devastating year which has touched every corner of our lives and the consequences have been felt deeply in Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities who have been disproportionately affected by the virus. Recent analysis by my team at PHE London has revealed that sadly ethnicity continues to … Read more
Dear colleagues, This week is a year since we detected the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK and so a fitting time to thank everyone on behalf of Public Health England. The past year has certainly been the most challenging period we have ever faced in many decades. This novel virus has affected … Read more
Video call with family over the Christmas period. Christmas is an important time where people like to come together. This year we all face difficult choices and we know that Christmas is going to look very different. With COVID-19 cases in practically every neighbourhood and a new variant spreading rapidly in parts of the country, … Read more
We now know more than we ever have about what makes a good, balanced diet and the ways in which different nutrients impact our health. Analysis of the burden of disease in England highlights the importance of a healthy diet and weight on risk of preventable diseases such as heart disease and some cancers. The … Read more
The virus that causes COVID-19 is known to spread in clusters. Identifying these sources of infection is key to reducing spread, unfortunately, it is often not possible to know where people got infected particularly when there is significant spread of the virus in the community. There are, however, several tools that can provide vital clues. … Read more
Today London and parts of Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire have moved under tighter Tier 3 restrictions as we escalate our fight against COVID-19. Cases in the capital have been increasing significantly for over two weeks and we are now seeing exponential growth that could quickly overwhelm our NHS services over the festive period and into … Read more
Coloured transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus particle isolated from a UK case of the disease Covid-19. Lateral flow devices (LFDs) are one of the new tools being used to help us to detect and fight COVID-19. We put any prospective test through a rigorous validation programme, which PHE Porton Down has developed … Read more
A generic vaccine image. We are currently receiving lots of updates and seeing regular news stories on COVID-19 vaccines as well as articles on vaccines in general. There is a lot of interest in how they are made, approved and rolled out to the public. You may have seen mentions of the Joint Committee on … Read more
There are an estimated 589,000 people who are dependent on alcohol in England and about a quarter of them are likely to be receiving mental health medication; mostly for anxiety and depression, but also for sleep problems, psychosis and bipolar disorder. Deaths by suicide amongst mental health patients People in touch with specialist mental health … Read more
The latest edition of Health Matters, PHE’s professional resource, focuses on the effects of cold weather on health, looking at how COVID-19 amplifies cold-related risks and actions that can be taken to prevent harm, particularly to the most vulnerable. This blog provides a summary of the full edition’s content. Cold weather and health The risk of … Read more