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Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning. We'll have another update for you this evening.
1. Covid's lasting impact on the NHS
When Elaine Walsh was diagnosed with womb cancer in January she was immediately classed as an urgent case. She should have been operated on within weeks but the procedure was cancelled due to the backlog caused by the pandemic. Her story isn't unusual. BBC News has carried out an in-depth analysis on the impact of Covid on the NHS and found there is a huge backlog with waiting lists ballooning at some hospitals. But plans are under way to tackle the backlog and Elaine is due to have surgery tomorrow.
2. Mixing vaccines increases reports of mild side-effects
Adults are more likely to report mild and moderate side-effects after mixing doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer Covid vaccines, a study indicates. Chills, headaches and muscle pain were reported more frequently when different vaccine doses were combined. Any adverse reactions were short lived, with no other safety concerns. "It's a really intriguing finding and not something we were necessarily expecting," Prof Matthew Snape, from the Oxford Vaccine Group said.
3. Why lockdown is no joke for comedy clubs
Lockdown has hit live indoor events as hard as any industry and, for comedy promoters, the experience has not been at all amusing. The Glee Club has had little to smile about since being forced to close its doors in March 2020. With one comedy and music venue in Glasgow and four others in England and Wales, revenues have been shattered in the past year. The company had forecast income of close to £5m across all of its clubs for 2020.
4. True stories, fake claims about periods and the vaccine
At a Covid vaccine appointment, you will probably be warned of possible side effects - fever, headache, a sore arm for a day or two afterwards. Changes to the menstrual cycle will not appear on the list. But women online around the world have started asking if early, heavy or painful periods might be an unlisted reaction to the jab. Our Reality Check team has looked into it.
5. The race to vaccinate the world
More than a billion Covid-19 vaccines have gone into arms around the world. We take a look at how five countries - the UK, US, Canada, India, and Chile - are faring in their vaccination efforts, and what it means for ending lockdowns.
And there's more...
An independent inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic was announced on Wednesday but what is it and how will it work?
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