Latest news with #Covid19
Times
11 hours ago
- Business
- Times
I tried the Japanese loo taking the world by storm
During the Nineties, bidets were seen as the ultimate bathroom status symbol for those with enough space and a desire for cleanliness. However, with the French plumbing fixture never quite taking off, it appears an increasing number of Britons wanting to take their bathroom hygiene to the next level are now looking to Japan. Bathroom retailers are citing an increase in demand for Japanese lavatories, which has in part been put down to an heightened awareness for personal hygiene due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ilter Gokceoglu, director of Specifo, a bathroom shop in Mortlake, southwest London, said demand for toilets made by the Japanese manufacturer Toto had risen significantly since the pandemic as hygiene became 'more important to people'. Gokceoglu said: 'In the past these toilets have simply been a luxury toy for rich people and every rich person has wanted to have them in their bathroom as a status symbol.' But Gokceoglu claimed that had changed as people were drawn to the functionality of the toilets, which are increasingly seen as a status symbol among the middle classes, many of whom have travelled to Japan or stayed in plush Asian hotels. • 23 of the world's best luxury holiday destinations Toto's 'smart' lavatories come equipped with an auto-flush, a heated seat and a lid that opens and closes at the press of a button. The company's top-of-the-range models, such as their Neorest washlet, even include a lamp to assist those struggling to find the light switch during a late-night bathroom trip. As I sat on a Toto toilet seat in a showroom in Battersea, I found the seat was more comfortable than most office chairs and could be heated to a temperature of your choice. Inside all of Toto's loos there is a piece of apparatus named a wand from which water is squirted at an intensity of your choosing. It also has a deodorant spray for those really wanting to freshen up at the click of a button. Specifo, which entered the UK market in 2009 and supplies luxury hotels in London, has sold 50 per cent more smart lavatories in the past year than in the previous year, Gokceoglu said. He estimates that more than half of luxury hotels in London now have Toto washlets in their guest rooms. Louise Ashdown, the in head of design at West One Bathrooms, which has ten showrooms across London and the southeast, said the more people travelled and went to luxury resorts, such as the ones depicted in the HBO series The White Lotus, the 'more people were inspired to get the toilets in their own bathrooms'. • How to get the White Lotus look in your home Ashdown said Toto's lavatories had become an 'aspirational product', as they could be purchased for as little as £2,000, with the more expensive models costing between £12,000 and £14,000. In the same way the vacuum cleaner became synonymous with Hoover and, later, Dyson, people have begun to use Toto as shorthand for referring to a washlet toilet, Ashdown said. 'People want to have a spa feeling at home and even just a heated seat to sit on when they get up for the toilet in the middle of the night,' Ashdown said. However, there are also far cheaper options for people who want some of the functionality without the premium price tag. Generic seats with built in washlets that fit to a conventional lavatory and are easily attached to the existing plumbing are available from online retailers for about £100.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government borrowing jumps despite boost from national insurance hike
Government borrowing last month jumped to the highest level for May outside the pandemic era despite a boost to the tax take after the Chancellor's national insurance hike. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said so-called compulsory social contributions, largely made up of national insurance contributions (NICs), jumped by £3.9 billion or 14.7% to a record £30.2 billion in April and May combined. It followed the move by Rachel Reeves in April to increase NICs for employers, which has seen wage costs soar for firms across the UK as they also faced a rise in the minimum wage in the same month. In spite of this, borrowing still surged to £17.7 billion last month, the second highest figure on record for May, surpassed only at the height of Covid. The ONS said May borrowing was £700 million higher than a year earlier, though it was slightly less than the £18 billion most economists had been expecting. Borrowing for the first two months of the financial year to date was £37.7 billion, £1.6 billion more than the same two-month period in 2024. Rob Doody, deputy director for public sector finances, said: 'Last month saw the public sector borrow £0.7 billion more than at the same time last year, with only 2020, affected as it was by Covid-19, seeing higher May borrowing in the time since monthly records began. 'While receipts were up, thanks partly to higher income tax revenue and national insurance contributions, spending was up more, affected by increased running costs and inflation-linked uplifts to many benefits.'
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Government borrowing jumps despite boost from national insurance hike
Government borrowing last month jumped to the highest level for May outside the pandemic era despite a boost to the tax take after the Chancellor's national insurance hike. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said so-called compulsory social contributions, largely made up of national insurance contributions (NICs), jumped by £3.9 billion or 14.7% to a record £30.2 billion in April and May combined. It followed the move by Rachel Reeves in April to increase NICs for employers, which has seen wage costs soar for firms across the UK as they also faced a rise in the minimum wage in the same month. In spite of this, borrowing still surged to £17.7 billion last month, the second highest figure on record for May, surpassed only at the height of Covid. The ONS said May borrowing was £700 million higher than a year earlier, though it was slightly less than the £18 billion most economists had been expecting. Borrowing for the first two months of the financial year to date was £37.7 billion, £1.6 billion more than the same two-month period in 2024. Rob Doody, deputy director for public sector finances, said: 'Last month saw the public sector borrow £0.7 billion more than at the same time last year, with only 2020, affected as it was by Covid-19, seeing higher May borrowing in the time since monthly records began. 'While receipts were up, thanks partly to higher income tax revenue and national insurance contributions, spending was up more, affected by increased running costs and inflation-linked uplifts to many benefits.'
CNN
a day ago
- Health
- CNN
A new Covid-19 variant is spreading. Here's what you need to know
Respiratory viruses VaccinesFacebookTweetLink Follow Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. A new coronavirus variant is spreading in many parts of the world. The variant, NB.1.8.1, has been identified as the cause of Covid-19 resurgence in China and several other Asian countries. Experts in Europe are predicting a possible increase in cases there. A summer wave also could occur in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NB.1.8.1 already represents about one-third of new Covid-19 cases as of June 7. This is a significant increase from just a month before, when the new variant represented just 5% of new Covid-19 cases. Could another summer wave really occur? Do current vaccines still work, and if so, who should consider getting another dose now? And what precautions should people take to reduce their risk of contracting Covid-19? To help us with these questions, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at the George Washington University. Wen previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner. CNN: What should people know about the new variant? Wen: The SARS-CoV-2 virus is constantly mutating, and it's entirely expected that there will be new variants. The more opportunities the virus is given to spread, the more opportunities it has to mutate. Every time a new variant arises that appears to be outcompeting previous strains, it's important to ask three questions: Is it causing more severe disease, is it more contagious, and do existing vaccines still work against it? This new variant, NB.1.8.1, also called Nimbus, is a descendant of the Omicron strain. The World Health Organization has deemed the new strain a 'variant under monitoring.' However, WHO also reports that surveillance data do not show that it has increased severity compared with previously circulating variants. Given that this strain is outcompeting previous variants, it's possible that it could be more contagious, but there is nothing to suggest that it is being spread differently compared with past variants. As for whether existing vaccines work against this variant, the answer is not known. WHO cites laboratory data showing that it could have some immune escape, which means it may be less responsive to the immunity provided by vaccines or prior infection and suggesting a possible reduction in vaccine efficacy. At the same time, NB.1.8.1 is a close descendant of other strains against which the vaccines have efficacy. I expect there will be more data available in the coming weeks, as federal health officials will soon decide the formulation of this fall's updated Covid-19 vaccine. Knowing that NB.1.8.1 constitutes a growing proportion of cases, they will most likely try to ensure that the formulation has efficacy again this variant. CNN: What are symptoms of N.B.1.8.1 infection? Wen: The symptoms appear to be similar to infection with other variants. There is a large range of symptoms and severity. Some patients may have allergy-like symptoms, such as stuffy and runny nose. Others may have cold- or flulike symptoms, with fever, sore throat, fatigue, headache and muscle or body aches. Some people may develop cough and difficulty breathing. Some may have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. While most people will recover, some could become severely ill and require hospitalization. Some individuals who contract Covid-19 may also develop the post-viral condition known as long Covid. CNN: Could another summer wave really happen again? Wen: Yes. It could be triggered by a new variant that's more contagious and that has some degree of immune escape. A wave also could occur simply because of declining population immunity. Some experts believe that the emergence of this new strain combined with less recent Covid-19 activity could start a wave in the next couple of months. What we have seen from several years of experience with Covid-19 is that infections tend to come in waves. A surge in cases leads to many people falling ill, then recovering and developing short-term immunity to infection. Infection rates decline for several months, then they begin to increase again. Summer waves of Covid-19 have occurred over the past few years. It's certainly possible that the pattern repeats this year. CNN: Who should consider getting the vaccine now instead of waiting for the fall formulation? Wen: This is a difficult question to answer because the landscape around Covid-19 vaccination has been changing. Just last month, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Covid-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. These shots appear to still be accessible for children; for instance, the CDC's guidance now reads that children can get the shots after consulting with their health care provider. However, there are already reports of pregnant women having more difficulty obtaining these vaccines. This and other guidance could soon change, as Kennedy has reconstituted the panel of external experts who advise the CDC on vaccine recommendations, and this new panel could make different decisions during their upcoming meeting in late June. Another uncertainty is when a new round of vaccines will be made available. One way to approach this decision is to consider your risk of severe outcomes if you were to contract Covid-19. Those who are 65 and over or who have chronic underlying medical conditions should consider getting another dose of the vaccine now, if they are eligible. That way, they have additional protection in case there is a summer wave, since the existing vaccine probably retains some efficacy against the new variant. And they can still get another dose in the fall when the new formulation will presumably be released. As for those who are younger and generally healthy, some who have not yet received the 2024-25 formulation also may consider getting the vaccine now before guidelines change and they may no longer be eligible. People should discuss their specific medical situations with their primary care physician. CNN: What precautions should people consider to reduce their risk of contracting this variant? Wen: The same precautions we've been discussing throughout the Covid-19 pandemic still apply. This is a respiratory virus that could be airborne, so be on guard, particularly in crowded indoor settings. People who are especially vulnerable to severe disease should try to avoid these settings. If they need to go into, say, a crowded train station, they should consider wearing a well-fitting N95 or equivalent mask. Those people visiting vulnerable individuals may wish to avoid higher-risk settings in the days before the visit to reduce the chance of spreading not only Covid-19 but also other respiratory illnesses.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
What is new ‘Nimbus' Covid variant? Symptoms as cases grow in UK
Covid-19 is once again making headlines more than five years after the initial outbreak, with a new variant spreading in the UK and several countries across the globe. The new strain, named NB.1.8.1 and also known as 'Nimbus', now accounts for just over 10 per cent of global infections, with cases now confirmed in England and Northern Ireland. While there is no evidence that the new strain causes more severe symptoms, experts believe that it in can infect cells more efficiently and can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation and nausea. Since first being recognised in January 2025, the omicron variant has spread to several states across the US, Australia, Thailand and is the most dominant variant in China and Hong Kong. What is 'Nimbus' NB.1.8.1? The World Health Organisation has designated the NB.1.8.1 as a 'variant under monitoring', and comprises around 10.7 per cent of all submitted sequences. A WHO spokesperson said: " SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. "In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." While it first appeared in samples at the beginning of this year, data from GISAID, a global data of genetic sequences of major disease-causing viruses, show that the first known cases were registered at the end of April. What are the symptoms? While evidence has suggested that NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily than other variants, the WHO has not observed any signs that it has an increase in severity. "Data indicates that NB.1.8.1 does not lead to more severe illness compared to previous variants, although it appears to have a growth advantage, suggesting it may spread more easily," Subhash Verma, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, told CBS News. "In other words, it is more transmissible." Common symptoms align with typical Omicron subvariants and include fatigue, fever and muscle aches. Dr Naveed Asif, GP at the London General Practice, warned the variant also has a distinctive symptom, a severe sore throat known as 'razor blade' throat, causing a sharp stabbing pain when you swallow, often at the back of the throat. So far, cases have been recorded in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as in popular British tourist hotspots overseas. However, given the dwindling numbers of people testing for Covid-19, it has become increasingly difficult to know the true number of infections. Why has there been a global surge in cases? The 'Nimbus' variant, as it has been dubbed, does appear to be more transmissible than previous strains, with notable increases reported in India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. Dr Chun Tang, GP at UK private healthcare centre Pall Mall Medical, said: 'NB.1.8.1 isn't too different from the Omicron variant, but it does have some tweaks to its spike protein, which might make it spread a bit more easily or slip past some of our existing immunity. 'That said, early signs suggest it doesn't seem to cause more serious illness, but of course, we're still learning more about it.' Do the Covid vaccines work against NB.1.8.1?
