England’s latest COVID data tell a story we’re barely hearing anymore.
• 373 cases
• 338 in hospital
• 15 deaths
• 2.1% positivity
The virus is still circulating, still causing infections, hospitalisations, Long COVID — and still taking lives.
What’s changed isn’t the risk, but the attention.
A new @nature.com feature by Aisling Irwin explores how airborne environmental DNA is becoming a powerful tool for tracking biodiversity.
A fascinating look at how much information is floating around us every day.
Credit: Aisling Irwin / Nature (2026)
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01099-2
The air is full of DNA — here’s what scientists are using it for
Airborne genetic material can be used to paint a picture of ecosystem health, watch for invasive species and even identify humans.
HAIs Are the Silent Endemic: Why the Numbers Don’t Add Up
Health care–associated infections (HAIs) remain underestimated, driven by evolving pathogens, environmental reservoirs, and biofilm persistence. Experts argue outdated data and overreliance on hand hygiene obscure the true, growing burden of preventable infections.
50 years of data reveal higher death risks in London transport workers
A 50-year retrospective cohort study of 117,166 Transport for London workers found that bus and London Underground job categories had higher all-cause, respiratory, cardiovascular, and lung cancer mortality than office workers. The authors caution that broad job categories, missing cause-of-death data, and unmeasured confounding mean the findings show association, not proof of specific occupational causes.
Unedited findings from large TfL worker cohort suggest higher long‑term mortality in bus and LU staff than office workers, data gaps so results need cautious interpretation.
@andrefsamaral.bsky.social et al @imperialnhli.bsky.social
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-45200-1Study raises important questions?
Mortality in a cohort of transport for London workers - Scientific Reports
Transport workers face various occupational hazards, however long-term effects on mortality are less understood. Transport for London (TfL) employs almost 30,000 workers across a wide range of transport-based jobs and working environments. This study aimed to characterise mortality among TfL employees, and investigate long-term health outcomes. A retrospective cohort was formed using cause of death data from the TfL pension fund for employees working between 1960 and 2010. Workers were grouped by job title and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess all-cause, respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Bus (hazard ratio HR 1.17, 95% confidence interval CI 1.09–1.25) and London Underground (LU) (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.15–1.32) workers had significantly higher risks of all-cause, as well as respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality when compared to office workers. Mortality rates did not differ significantly between bus and LU workers, potentially due to shared occupational or lifestyle risk factors. In this large subway cohort study, mortality rates over 50 years were greater among bus and LU workers compared to office employees. However, findings should be interpreted cautiously due to limitations in data availability and unmeasured confounders. Future prospective studies should address these limitations by collecting detailed health and exposure data.
