LONDON, Dec 30: A new variant of the novel coronavirus does not appear to cause more severe illness than other variants, according to a matched study by Public Health England.

Aug 2: Obesity increases a person's risk for severe complications from influenza, including hospitalization and even death. It may also play a role in how flu spreads, according to a new study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. The findings suggest that obese adults infected with flu shed the virus for a longer time than adults who are not obese, potentially increasing the opportunity for the infection to spread to others.

KATHMANDU, August 17: Experts and environmentalists have blamed a host of man-made problems including deforestation, sand and gravel mining along the Chure region for the devastating impacts of the monsoon-induced disaster in the tarai.