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Queensland's lockdown could be extended as the state battles to control four concerning coronavirus outbreaks.  Anxious health officials are waiting on the results of thousands of tests as they deliberate whether to extend the current three-day lockdown across southeast Queensland, along with Townsville, Magnetic Island and Palm Island in the state's north beyond 6pm Friday.  The state is battling three outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta strain on top of a fourth cluster of the Alpha variant which spread out of hotel quarantine last month. A decision about lockdown may not be made until Friday morning as a war of words broke out between Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, federal politicians and Australia's largest medical bodies. More venues were added to the state's growing list of exposure sites overnight including a popular Brisbane hospital cafe, an airport newsagent, tennis courts in the city's north and two more Virgin Australia flights between Sydney and Br

Millions of cases of Covid-19 could be missed unless the ‘official’ symptom list is expanded, experts have warned. Scientists are urging the UK Government to follow other countries and broaden the range of symptoms that forms the criteria for self-isolation or a PCR test. Currently only three symptoms - a high temperature, new cough, or loss or change to sense of smell or taste - are listed by the NHS. People only have to self-isolate or get a PCR test if they get one of these three symptoms, but latest data suggests other symptoms, including headache, fatigue and sore throat, are just as common. Today a group of top scientists have published an article in the British Medical Journal saying that limiting testing to people with these three core symptoms could ‘miss or delay identification of many Covid cases’. Dr Alex Crozier and colleagues including Professor Calum Semple, a leading Government scientific advisor, said this could hamper efforts to halt the spread of the virus as non-tra

Pregnant women who take over-the-counter painkillers have a higher risk of their babies being harmed in the womb. Researchers tracked more than 150,000 pregnancies over three decades to look at women who took aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol, naproxen and diclofenac while expecting their baby. Women who used at least one of the five painkillers were 33 per cent more likely to suffer a stillbirth and were 28 per cent more likely to have a baby with a low birth weight. Pregnant women who take over the counter painkillers have a higher risk of their babies being harmed in the womb, according to a new study conducted by the University of Aberdeen Women waiting up to a YEAR before GP spots menopause  Most women are forced to visit their GP several times with symptoms of the menopause before they are diagnosed, a study found. The survey of more than 5,000 women showed three-quarters suffered symptoms such as hot flushes for a year before they were given help. A total of 15 per cent said this

Prince Harry told Ed Sheeran that fathering Lilibet and Archie is 'definitely a juggle' as he delighted sick children with a surprise visit to the WellChild Awards this afternoon.  Harry attended the event, which celebrates inspirational young people living with serious illnesses, at Kew Gardens after testing negative for coronavirus following five days of quarantine in Windsor.  The duke - who has been WellChild's patron since 2007 - mingled with the awards' star-studded lineup, including popstars Ed Sheeran and Anne-Marie, with the latter performing three songs for the delighted winners. At the socially-distanced garden party and afternoon tea, Sheeran was overheard congratulating Prince Harry on the birth of his daughter Lilibet Diana earlier this month. The singer, whose wife Cherry Seaborn gave birth to their first child Lyra Antarctica last year, said: 'Congratulations, a girl right? We just had a little girl ten months ago now. You're still in the trenche