What You Need To Know

Sir Trevor McDonald is none other than quite simply the biggest name in news in British broadcast history. Joining ITN in 1973, he's best known for presenting ITV's News at Ten from 1992 and becoming a familiar face on our screens. He retired from presenting in 2008, receiving a series of awards along the way, including a knighthood in 1999. Sir Trevor continues to present documentaries and spends...

In this episode of our podcast, we bring you this week's audio version of ITV News' weekly programme, Coronavirus: Q&A, which airs every Monday night. The programme puts your questions to key public figures involved in making the big decisions affecting our lives at the moment, plus our resident health and consumer affairs experts. In this week's episode, ITV News Presenter Nina Hossain puts viewe...

We're all washing our hands more often and being more aware about cleanliness at the moment - but just how much do you need to clean your home to make it as virus-free as possible? Kylie Pentelow speaks to author, businesswoman, and TV personality Lynsey Crombie - known as the 'Queen of Clean' - for tips and advice on what to clean in the home, and how regularly - as well as what to do about clean...

It's one of the big questions of the moment - should we all be wearing face masks? The current advice from the UK government and the World Health Organisation is that face masks should only be worn by those with coronavirus symptoms, as well as health care workers. A review is happening right now to see whether the UK should start urging the public to wear face masks. Some countries have already c...

In today's episode we look at why a disproportionate number of people from black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds are dying from coronavirus in the UK. The government has launched a review to try to find out. On Monday, the NHS released figures showing that, out of all Covid-19 deaths in English hospitals, 16.2 per cent of patients were from black, Asian and ethnic minority communities...

In this episode of our podcast, we bring you this week's audio version of ITV News' weekly programme, Coronavirus: Q&A, which airs every Monday night. The programme puts your questions to key public figures involved in making the big decisions affecting our lives at the moment, plus our resident health and consumer affairs experts. This week, ITV News Presenter Nina Hossain puts viewers' health an...

A vaccine for Covid-19 is seen as the way out to end the lockdowns that are crippling economies around the world - because easing lockdowns without a vaccine in place could see health services overwhelmed with coronavirus cases. But the big question is: when will a vaccine be ready? A global race is happening right now to fast-track efforts to develop one. Among the teams involved is one from the...

A number of new NHS Nightingale hospitals are opening across the UK - existing buildings like exhibition centres which are rapidly transformed into field hospitals in just a matter of weeks, ready to treat coronavirus patients. Some are already treating patients, including the largest Nightingale, which is in London - it can treat up to 4,000 patients if needed. Next week, the first one in the Wes...

In this episode, we take a closer look at why some people become seriously ill with Covid-19 and why so many of them are dying. The outbreak has claimed the lives of people of all ages - but are there certain groups who are succumbing more to the virus than others? Among those who have died have been people with what are described as 'underlying health conditions' - but what exactly are they and w...

Life in lockdown is bringing many challenges - among them, many people aren't used to spending so much time with your partner. Kylie Pentelow speaks to relationship counsellor Rachael Blackmore about how to deal with conflict during these difficult times. If you or someone you know is struggling in a relationship during lockdown, there is support available on the Relate website: www.relate.org.uk...

In this episode of our podcast, we bring you this week's audio version of a new weekly TV programme from ITV News, Coronavirus: Q&A, which airs every Monday night. This week, ITV News Presenter Nina Hossain put your questions to the government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance - including on the topic of testing for the virus. He told us that while testing in the UK was "at the right...

In this episode, we look at what’s happening in the UK's care homes during this outbreak. Carers have been telling ITV News that they feel like the ‘forgotten frontline’ in the crisis. ITV News correspondent Paul Brand has been speaking to care home staff over the last couple of weeks. They’ve been telling him about their struggles not only in getting personal protective equipment, but also corona...

During these anxious times, it seems coronavirus is keeping many people awake at night, and it could even be causing odd dreams and nightmares. Kylie Pentelow talks to sleep expert Christabel Majendie about why this is happening, and finds out from her the best ways to ensure we have a long, restful night's sleep. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe...

ITV News Health Correspondent Emily Morgan witnessed the reality of what it is like to treat coronavirus-infected patients on the frontline, after she and an ITV News crew were invited to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital to see the intensive care unit there, known as the 'red zone'. It was the first time cameras in the UK were been allowed to film inside an intensive care unit treating critically il...

In this episode of our podcast, we bring you this week's audio version of a new weekly TV programme from ITV News, Coronavirus: Q&A. ITV News Presenter Nina Hossain puts your questions to GP Dr Sarah Jarvis and ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi. They cover the news which broke on Monday night that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care after his condition worsened, discuss whet...

Antibody tests have been described by scientists and even the prime minister as a 'game changer'. But what are they, why are they so important - and if they are crucial - why haven’t we got one yet? ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke and ITV News Health Correspondent Emily Morgan speak to Dr Emily Adams, senior lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who is helping to validate some...

You may have heard a lot about ventilators recently - that hospitals need a lot of them during this crisis, and how important they are in keeping the most vulnerable Covid-19 patients alive. Manufacturers are helping the UK government to make thousands of extra ventilators, the first of which are being sent out to hospitals this weekend. But just how do ventilators work and just how crucial are th...

In today's episode we focus on what's happening in the U.S. On Tuesday night, Donald Trump told the nation that the next two weeks are going to be "very, very painful". The White House projects between 100,000 to 240,000 coronavirus deaths in the US even if social distancing guidelines are maintained. It was a change of tone from the president, who up until recently was hoping that businesses woul...

In this episode of our podcast, we're bringing you an audio version of a new weekly TV programme from ITV News, called Coronavirus: Q&A. Since the outbreak began, we've been receiving many questions from viewers and readers about the virus and how it's impacting their lives - so Coronavirus: Q&A will put those questions to experts and those in power making the decisions that are affecting everyone...

In this episode, we talk about how we can best manage our mental health amid everything that's going on right now. It's a tough time for everyone, with the outbreak affecting every part of our lives - be it coping with self-isolate, having to home school children, or dealing with job uncertainty. There are big issues for our mental health, whether we usually suffer from problems or not. So what ar...

While the COVID-19 outbreak began in China, the virus has been most deadly in Europe. For the past few weeks, the focus has been on Italy, which has had the highest number of deaths from the virus, at more than 7,500. But in Spain, the crisis there is worsening - it now has the second highest death toll, at more than 4,000 - overtaking China. ITV News Europe Editor James Mates - who recently repor...

ITV News Asia Correspondent Debi Edward, based in Beijing, has been reporting on the coronavirus outbreak since the first case was confirmed in China's Wuhan province nearly three months ago. Since then, Wuhan and other cities including the capital Beijing have been in lockdown as authorities try to limit the spread of the virus. ITV News Presenter Mary Nightingale chats to Debi about what it's be...

The COVID-19 outbreak is having an unprecedented impact on the UK economy, with unprecedented measures announced by the government to help keep businesses afloat and employees in their jobs. With the UK now on a three-week lockdown, with all but essential shops shut, what now for the UK as economic activity pretty much grinds to a halt? And how does the economy recover from the outbreak - and what...

ITV News Health Correspondent Emily Morgan and ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke talk to Dr Robin Thompson, Junior Research Fellow in Mathematical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, who explains the remarkable numbers behind social distancing - and how one individual can stop infecting hundreds or thousands more people by limiting their contact with others.

As schools across the UK close today for the foreseeable future, it's an uncertain time for millions of children and young people as they lose the structure of a regular school day. Many, particularly younger children, will also be anxious and concerned about the virus. So how can parents talk to their children about what's happening - and what can you do to help them cope with not being at school...