Tag Archives: Life

This Picture Of A Black Foetus Went Viral. We Spoke To The Illustrator

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During medical training, in health textbooks, in posters or at the doctor’s office, we often see health conditions or body parts represented with white figures.

Many of these images seem outdated or inaccessible to large parts of the population. Now, one medical student has taken matters into his own hands.

Chidiebere Sunday Ibe, 25, from Ebonyi State, Nigeria, began illustrating Black patients, children and babies. Recently, his drawing of a Black foetus and mother has gone viral on Twitter and TikTok, amassing hundreds of thousand views and likes.

The image has clearly struct a real chord with people, especially those not accustomed to seeing their skin tones reflected in standard medical imagery.

The aspiring neurosurgeon wanted to show people what certain conditions look like for Black people – and also normalise the diversity of our bodies.

For some people, it was the first time they’d seen a Black foetus and many called for more representation like this.

When we spoke to Ibe about his illustrations, he told HuffPost UK: “This image was created like every other image, I never expected it to be viral. The whole purpose was to keep talking about what I’m passionate about – equity in healthcare – and also to show the beauty of Black people.

“I feel great seeing it going viral, I never expected it and it feels good that the message is out and it will challenge current systems.”

Ibe points out that we need to see more images like this, and more people behind the scenes creating them.

“We don’t only need more representation like this, we need more people willing to create representation like this, this would help make such images more accepted,” he says.

Chidiebere Ibe is an aspiring neurosurgeon.

Chidiebere Ibe

Chidiebere Ibe is an aspiring neurosurgeon.

For Black people working in healthcare, seeing Ibe’s images has meant a lot – it’s not often they see their race reflected in the industry. Rebekah Agboola, a 27-year old nurse from London, says the picture made her do a double-take.

“The image was shocking,” she tells HuffPost UK. “I’ve never seen a Black baby in an image like this before – it makes you take a second look. It shouldn’t be shocking as it’s a simple medical illustration. However, having started my journey into this world as a sixth form student looking at medical images, I didn’t commonly see illustrations of Black and brown people unless it was something to do with skin conditions and even then it was rare.”

Agboola says such illustrations go beyond representation to having a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing.

“I think that it is important to make sure that there is more representation because it will greatly improve the treatment of our patients,” she says.

In August 2020, as part of Black Ballad’s weeklong takeover of HuffPost UK, Black women spoke out about the discrimination, microaggressions and substandard care they received during pregnancy, shining fresh light on the findings of a major motherhood survey, also conducted by Black Ballad.

“Routinely, Black and other minority patients do not receive the same care due to initial symptom presentation and if it is made clearer that our symptoms can sometimes look different and that clinicians need to give their examinations more thought we can help reduce this issue,” Agboola says.

“This picture shocked me but I was so glad to see it and want to see more.”

Rebekah, a nurse, has never seen an image like this before

Rebekah Agboola

Rebekah, a nurse, has never seen an image like this before

Since the release of Ibe’s pics, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM0, has also said it will be amping up efforts to diversify.

Jane Bekoe, the RCM lead on its Race Matters programme, told us: “Positive representation of race is important in all aspects of our lives and society, because the world should reflect accurately all the people living in it. This applies just as much to portrayals of Black and minority ethnic people within healthcare, so illustrations such as this are a positive and necessary step forward towards real equality for us all.”

The RCM is working to ensure changes happens, Bekoe added, following its first celebration of Black History and Culture Month this year. In January 2022, it will hold a webinar on decolonising the midwifery curriculum, which will be led by the RCM’s student midwife forum.

Here’s hoping things do actually change.

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Scientists Say Another Pandemic Is Inevitable, Here’s Why

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The next pandemic is coming and it could be lethal, says one of the scientists who helped develop the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Dame Sarah Gilbert warned during the 44th Richard Dimbelby lecture, that while this “pandemic is not done with us”, following ones could be even more catastrophic.

The professor of vaccinology at Oxford University and her team developed the AstraZeneca jab, which – despite controversies over rare blood clots – has been used in more than 170 countries.

Speaking at the lecture, she said: “This will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods. The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or both.”

Professor Gilbert added that we could be more prepared for future catastrophes, if we take on lessons from Covid-19.

She added: “We cannot allow a situation where we have gone through all we have gone through, and then find that the enormous economic losses we have sustained mean that there is still no funding for pandemic preparedness.

“Just as we invest in armed forces and intelligence and diplomacy to defend against wars, we must invest in people, research, manufacturing and institutions to defend against pandemics.”

Encroaching on animal territory can heighten the risk of future pandemics.

LUIS ROBAYO via Getty Images

Encroaching on animal territory can heighten the risk of future pandemics.

The thought of another pandemic while we’re deep in the throes of a current one seems hugely worrying. But is it completely inevitable? We spoke to some experts to find out.

Dr Julian W Tang, an honorary associate professor and clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, says time will tell.

“Unfortunately, we cannot yet predict the exact nature or timing of pandemics,” he tells HuffPost UK. “The 2009 ‘swine’ flu pandemic was relatively mild, Covid-19 was more severe, the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic is still severe if long-term, reliable access to drugs is not guaranteed like in sub-Saharan Africa.”

And the main reason why we may experience future pandemics could be the mixing of animal-human environments, he adds.

“Given the closer interface between humans-animals environment, another zoonotic spillover event is very likely,” Dr Tang says. “But whether it will be like Ebola, avian flu, MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus), SARS, or something entirely new, we cannot know for certain.”

Whatever the cause of future pandemics, Dr Tang agrees with Prof. Gilbert that we must be better prepared.

“Professor Gilbert’s talk is really just emphasising the need for increased funding to prepare for any such pandemic – to avoid a last minute scramble (as we have seen in the UK and other Western countries) to set up and maintain such vaccine and drug development programmes, surveillance, testing, isolation/quarantine systems – for if/when the next pandemic arrives.”

Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health, is less optimistic.

“There will definitely be future pandemics.” he says. “They have occurred throughout human history, and will continue to happen. In the 21st century, we have now had two pandemics, the previous being ‘swine flu’ in 2009. There have also been outbreaks that have caused great concern, including ‘bird flu’, the previous SARS coronavirus and also MERS, and the West Africa Ebola outbreak.”

Dr Head agrees that globalisation, increased agriculture, and taking over animal territory can contribute to the problem.

“Increased human encroachment onto animal habitats means greater opportunities for a pathogen to mix between species and make that perfect jump into humans. Increased globalisation means more travel around the world and thus a greater chance of any new or existing infection spreading widely,” he explains.

“We can of course learn our lessons, and put global plans in place that reduce the chances a pandemic happening, or at least can minimise the impact of the next pandemic. Whether we take that opportunity or not, that’s another matter altogether.”

But, we can of course apply pressure to government and organisations to do better and act more carefully for the preservation of humanity. As the saying goes: fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

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This Is How Much Money You’re (Probably) Wasting On Bad Dates

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“Dating is a numbers game” has to be one of the most annoying phrases you hear when you’re single. Because bad dates can feel like a huge waste of time – and also a massive waste of money.

Adults in the UK spend an average of £47.50 on each first date, according to new research from the dating app Badoo. And the majority of singletons experience six failed romantic connections per year, where they know it’s not worth going past the first meeting.

The result? Daters are spending a massive £285 a year on bad dates.

The financial burden is just another example of the relationship wealth gap, which sees single people forced to spend more each year than those coupled up.

People living on their own spend an average of 92% of their disposable income, compared with two-adult households who spend only 83% of theirs, according to 2019 research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Paying for housing alone, for example, is a huge burden.

Faced with these challenges, it’s no wonder frittering away cash on yet another damp squib is impacting daters’ mental health. Over three quarters (78%) of those surveyed said wasting money contributes towards them feeling stressed and burnt out when dating.

So, what’s behind us having so many bad dates? Bad luck should not be overlooked, but being more upfront about what you want from a date could help rule out some of the time wasters and save some cold, hard cash.

A quarter (25%) of those surveyed said they find it hard to be honest about their dating intentions, and 27% admitted they often say what they think others want to hear. Meanwhile, 31% said they find it difficult to express what they’re looking for, for fear of what the other person will think of them.

The good news is that expensive drinks seem to be going out of fashion for first dates. Separate research from Tinder shows daters opted for more outdoorsy, adventurous activities in 2021, with hiking one of the most popular go-to first meets.

If that sounds a bit much for December, you could always wrap up warm and head to one of the UK’s Christmas markets this month. Hey, it works for rom-coms, and they’re always realistic…right?

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Scientists Have Found The Two Most Effective Covid Booster Jabs

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The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the most effective Covid booster jabs. a new study has found, but all boosters could help fight the Omicron variant.

Newly published research from the ongoing CovBoost study into vaccines, shows that six different vaccines are safe and effective as booster doses for people who have already had two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech.

The latest CovBoost trial, published in the Lancet, involved 2,878 people aged 30 or over who received a booster 10 to 12 weeks after their initial two jabs.

The six vaccines tested as a third doses were AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Janssen (made by Johnson and Johnson) and CureVac (which has ceased production).

“All of the vaccines in our study do show a statistically significant boost,” says Professor Saul Faust, trial lead and director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

He stressed that while the boost delivered by the two mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – was “very high”, Novavax, Janssen and AstraZeneca also delivered “very effective boosts”.

Although the newly emerged Omicron variant was not tested in the study, the study showed that booster vaccines are working well against existing variants.

Asked specifically about Omicron, Prof Faust said: “Our hope as scientists is that protection against hospitalisation and death will remain intact.”

filadendron via Getty Images

“It’s really encouraging that a wide range of vaccines, using different technologies, show benefits as a third dose to either AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech,” said Prof Faust. “That gives confidence and flexibility in developing booster programmes here in the UK and globally, with other factors like supply chain and logistics also in play.

Additionally, researchers think that T cell immunity, which was studied alongside antibodies in the research, could play a big role in fighting off the new variant.

“Even though we don’t properly understand its relation to long-term immunity, the T cell data is showing us that it does seem to be broader against all the variant strains, which gives us hope that a variant strain of the virus might be able to be handled, certainly for hospitalisation and death if not prevention of infection, by the current vaccines,” Prof Faust said.

When looking at antibody levels in the trial, people who had received two doses of AstraZeneca initially had booster responses that were between 1.8 times higher to 32.3 times higher depending on the booster vaccine used. After two doses of Pfizer, the range was 1.3 times higher to 11.5 times higher.

There were 13 different groups testing the boosters or acting as controls, with controls given a meningitis vaccine. Immunity was then assessed after 28 days, with experts saying that more data will be published in the future on the immunity results three months and one year after receiving boosters.

Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, commented: “This is a fantastic study and it’s great to finally see the data that was no doubt pivotal in deciding the UK’s vaccine booster approach.

“The data clearly shows that all boosters provided a lift to at least one aspect of your Covid immunity, and that side effects were, on the whole, mild.”

He added: “The data also shows that an mRNA booster – such as Moderna or Pfizer – provided the best overall boost, irrespective of whether your first doses were mRNA or (AstraZeneca). The fact that the mRNA vaccine boosts gave a marked increase in both antibodies and T cells is great news, especially now, when our attention has been grabbed by the emergence of the Omicron variant.”

Samples from the study have now been passed to the UK Health Security Agency to look at how well the Omicron variant can be neutralised by vaccines.

More data will be published early next year looking at whether a longer period between second and third doses improves the response.

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Cat Owners Are Coming Up With Ingenious Ways To Protect Their Christmas Trees

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Christian Lizarazo via Getty Images/EyeEm

Christmas is only a few weeks away, which means it’s time for the Christmas trees to come out. The annual tradition brings with it the joy of the festive season – and not just for humans.

Pets, particularly cats, love Christmas trees. So much so, that they’re destroying our carefully decorated masterpieces.

Yep that’s right, our favourite cute little animals are taking down Christmas trees.

Some cats use Christmas trees as good hiding places

Others see Christmas trees as a playground

And other cats see a tree as a light snack.

This year, cat owners have had enough and have found some ways to prevent their fluffy pets destroying their Christmas trees.

From hanging your tree to the ceiling to getting creative with kitchen foil, here are some ways cat owners are keeping their Christmas tree cat-free.

User Kat.school is using a box to distract her cats away from the tree.

Other users are using extreme measures to have a cat-proof Christmas tree, such as hanging the tree from the ceiling.

Some people are using scare tactics

And others are using aluminium foil to keep the cats away.

If you’re a cat owner heading into the festive season, we wish you luck.

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Subtitles Are Key To The Immigrant Experience – They Helped Me Learn English

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There are two camps of TV watchers in this world: team subtitles and team dubbing. I sit firmly in the former, because as Parasite director Boon Joon-Ho famously said, you can access a richer catalogue of culture if you overlook the “once-inch barriers”. But closed captions are also hugely helpful when learning a new language.

As a first-generation immigrant who came to the UK at six years old, I couldn’t speak the language, trailing behind my peers in my reading skills. But then I started watching TV with subs, consuming anything from CBBC cartoons to grown-up soap operas such as Neighbours and Home and Away, always with the captioning on.

Though it took me a while to be able to read quickly enough to catch the action, soon I did it effortlessly. In watching different worlds come to life on the screen, my own world began to widen as I understood language, grammar, punctuation.

Today, I enjoy subtitles because they enable me to catch details that are missed with audio-only viewing, but also because they deepen my connection to the English language. And I’m not the only one. Subtitles have closed the gap between cultures oceans apart.

One of the BTS band members, RM, who is the only fluent English speaker in the group, said he learned English through watching Friends and reading translated subtitles.

Adrienne Houghton, who hosts TV show The Real, also went viral when she shared a story of how reading subtitles as a child while her immigrant dad learned the language, secured her career success.

Many others, immigrant or not, can relate to the practice, whether conscious or subconscious.

The Friends cast helped RM – and many others – learn the lingo.

NBC via Getty Images

The Friends cast helped RM – and many others – learn the lingo.

Initially launched for deaf people and those hard of hearing, subtitles have grown in popularity in recent times. In fact, recent research found that young people are four times more likely to use subtitles than older cohorts.

Four out of five 18-25-year-olds prefer to have captioning all or part of the time, according to the charity Stagetext. That figure for 56-70-year-olds is less than a quarter, despite this group being more likely to be hard of hearing.

And now, youngsters want more events to be subtitle-friendly. Stagetext’s research found that 45% of young people would go to live events if there were captions on a screen in the venue. Among over 65s, this figure was 16%.

There’s certainly an appeal in having text accompanying action, not least because of how impactful it can be for non-native English speakers.

Alp Ozcelik, who works for The New Yorker, grew up in Istanbul, Turkey, and says subtitles were “absolutely instrumental” in him learning English growing up.

“I was already learning English in school, but subtitled American TV was what really taught me the accent/correct pronunciation of words and the slang that I really couldn’t have picked up at school,” the 31-year-old project manager from New York says. “I also would like to credit video games with voice acting and subtitles here as well; they taught me a lot of vocabulary!”

Now, having subs is a habit Ozcelik can’t get out of. “I absolutely still use subtitles on all the TV I watch; it allows me to pick up more of what’s being said and also all of the names of people and places that sometimes get lost,” he adds.

As a child of the 90s and early 00s, Ozcelik says Friends and Gilmore Girls were big contributors his language lessons, alongside reruns of older American TV, like Married with Children and Cheers. “But I watched a lot of other primetime TV as well,” he says. “Sex and the City and Gossip Girl also come to mind.”

Alp Ozcelik learned English watching Friends and Gilmore Girls.

Alp Ozcelik

Alp Ozcelik learned English watching Friends and Gilmore Girls.

Like Ozcelik and myself, Steph Santa, a 24-year-old fraud investigator from Washington D.C, also picked up English by watching subtitled television.

Born in Peurto Rico, she travelled to the States when she was eight, where she had trouble learning English. But soon, from watching Disney shows and films, Santa was able to acquire the skill.

“When I was first learning English I had some knowledge thanks to my grandparents but I was nowhere near being fluent. The use of subtitles helped me learn how words are spelled and what they sound like,” she says.

“I remember alternating shows and movies in English with Spanish subtitles or Spanish with English subtitles until I was comfortable enough to put both in English.”

And like many others, Santa has carried on using subs, but wishes they were available in more settings. “I still use subtitles, it feels like I can’t hear what I’m watching if the subtitles aren’t on,” she says.

“I’m currently working on my masters degree and wish that the recorded lectures had closed captioning. I still struggle with some word pronunciations, but I think that’s a struggle any person that learned English as a second language goes through.”

Subtitles in lectures, or in cinemas or live events, would certainly be welcome, and not just to those who learned English as a second language, but for anyone who doesn’t want to miss all the whispers, the background detail, and the whole ambiance, not just the visual.

Sure, dubbing has it’s benefits too. But I will forever be team subtitles.

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Will There Be Another Lockdown In 2021? Here’s What We Know

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The government is repeatedly dodging calls for tighter restrictions despite rising Covid cases in the UK – so does this mean Britain could be heading for another its fourth lockdown in less than two years?

Will there be another lockdown?

There are no current plans to introduce a lockdown any time soon. Boris Johnson has claimed there is “nothing in the data” to suggest the UK needs to tighten restrictions – but he also refused to “rule anything out”.

Hospitalisations would need to reach almost 1,500 a day for the NHS to be overwhelmed, triggering another lockdown. Government data shows there are currently around 880 people admitted each day.

Deaths from Covid remain relatively low, too, compared to the previous rates seen shortly before lockdowns in March 2020, November 2020, and January 2021.

Deaths involving Covid-19 in England & Wales
Deaths involving Covid-19 in England & Wales

Sky News’ science correspondent Thomas Moore has also said the government has shown “no inclination towards tightening up the rules” or even bringing in plan B.

Waning immunity and a relaxation in behaviour have triggered small spikes in infections since the UK unlocked in July, but booster jabs have seen these spikes level off quickly.

The prime minister has refused to implement plan B – mandatory face masks and working from home – relying on the vaccine take-up and boosters instead.

The government has promised to keep an eye on the data but also appears wary of bringing about the same anti-lockdown protests seen across Europe.

Only a “firebreak” lockdown will be used if necessary, although business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News in October: “I would rule this out.”

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has also claimed the UK’s early and successful vaccine rollout means it’s unlikely that more restrictions will be brought in.

What’s happening in Europe?

Yet, Covid cases have certainly been climbing in Europe in recent weeks.

Austria became the first Western country to go into another full, national lockdown in November while Germany’s health minister Jens Spahn warned that by the end of winter, most of the country will be “vaccinated, cured or dead”.

The Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Croatia, Ireland, Slovakia and Czechia are all struggling with infections too.

However, Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London, part of the government independent advisory panel SAGE, told Radio 4′s Today programme that the UK has already gone through the wave Europe is experiencing, and so the population has greater immunity compared to Germany and Austria.

Will Christmas be cancelled?

As Christmas 2020 was effectively cancelled just six days before December 25, this is a major concern for many families this year.

Health secretary Sajid Javid said in October: “With winter ahead, we cannot blow it now.

“Although vaccinations are our primary form of defence, there are many more things we can all do to help contain the spread of this virus, like meeting outdoors where it is possible.”

He added Christmas is possible “if we all play our part”.

Dr Mike Tildesley, part of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M) told Sky News, “the idea of a winter lockdown is a long way away” unless the NHS comes under severe pressure again.

What you can do to stay safe in winter

As the UK’s future with Covid remains difficult to predict, you can reduce your own Covid risk in the upcoming months through several simple measures.

Make sure you ventilate your home for at least 10 minutes every hour. This prevents Covid from building up indoors.

Get vaccinated if you haven’t already and make sure you accept your booster jab when you are called up by the NHS.

Get your flu jab as the annual virus is likely to affect people more this year following last year’s lockdown – catching the flu could then make you more susceptible to Covid.

Wear a mask in crowded places, both indoors and outdoors, and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you can.

Work from home where possible and reduce the number of people you see, or try to see more people outdoors.

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Half Of Women Experience Body Dysmorphia. Here Are The Signs

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How do you feel about your body? There’s a chance you might have some issues with it, particular if you’re a woman (thanks to society’s ever-changing and unrealistic expectations of body standards).

And new research by charitable health enterprise Better gyms has found that nearly half of women experience body dysmorphia – a condition where you spend a lot of time worrying about your appearance.

Body dysmorphia disorder (BDD) is also characterised by a desire to change perceived “flaws”, when these are often unnoticeable to others.

In a survey of 2,000 respondents, Better revealed that 49% of women admit to thinking often about being lean enough, exercising despite illness or injury, feeling anxiety at missing a workout, giving up work or social obligations to maintain a workout schedule or diet, or maintaining an extreme exercise programme.

More than a third (34%) of women have received or know someone who has received online abuse directed at how their body looks. Meanwhile, 8% of women admit to commenting negatively on someone else’s physical appearance – compared to a fifth of men (21%). And 35% say low body confidence has impacted their social life and love life, while 7% say it has impacted their career progression.

10’000 Hours via Getty Images

Better also surveyed men and found similarly worrying results. It found that 54% of men have displayed a sign of body dysmorphia, with a quarter admitting they rarely or never feel body confident.

Age also played a part, with 18–24-year-olds being the age group with the highest percentage (81%) having experienced at least one sign of body dysmorphia.

The study also found that 31% say low body confidence has affected their social life, with 30% saying it has troubled their love life, and 27% saying it has impacted their mental health.

So what are the signs to watch out for?

According to the NHS, symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) include:

  • Worrying a lot about a specific area of your body (particularly your face)
  • Spending a lot of time comparing your looks with other people’s
  • Looking at yourself in mirrors a lot or avoiding mirrors altogether
  • Going to a lot of effort to conceal flaws – for example, by spending a long time combing your hair, applying make-up or choosing clothes
  • Picking at your skin to make it “smooth”.

BDD can start at a young age and persist through adulthood. Better’s research found that it can start as early as five years old.

You should see a GP if you think you might have BDD. They’ll probably ask a number of questions about your symptoms and how they affect your life. They may also ask if you’ve had any thoughts about harming yourself. You may be treated by the GP, or they may refer you to a mental health specialist for further assessment and treatment.

The most common treatment for BDD is Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which will help you identify your triggers and learn some techniques to manage your thoughts and emotions. Some people are also offered antidepressants.

Getting help for BDD is important, because symptoms are unlikely to go away without treatment. It’s a common mental health condition – and nothing to be embarrassed about.

You can also refer yourself directly to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) without a referral from a GP.

Help and support:

  • Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
  • Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
  • CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
  • The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
  • Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.
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‘Pity I’m Not The One Who Gives Out Handshakes’: Prue Leith Is All Of Us

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Warning: this article contains spoilers for the GBBO 2021 semi-final.

It was a heart-wrenching moment when Jürgen Krauss, possibly the best-loved contestant in Great British Bake Off history, presented his semi-final signature bake to the judges.

Paul Hollywood declared “I like it, but I don’t love it” and declined to give Jürgen one of his famed “Hollywood handshakes”, when the other three contestants each received one.

Jürgen looked towards Prue for redemption and thankfully, she loved the bake. But alas, it seems her opinion wasn’t enough.

“It’s a pity I’m not the one who gives out handshakes,” lamented Prue – while women watching the TV screamed in unison: “Why not!?”

Paul’s handshakes started as a bit of fun, where, back in the Mary Berry days of season three, he whipped out his palm to congratulate contestant Ryan Chong for some stellar sweet dough.

But the shakes have since morphed into something so much more – a symbol of success that’s almost as coveted as the “star baker” title.

In what was a close-knit episode – with the contestants almost impossible to separate – many on social media have speculated that Paul’s lack of handshake was the final nail in the coffin for Jürgen, who was voted off ahead of the final.

Women have also questiond why Paul’s handshake holds so much power – and suggested it’s just another example of a man’s opinion being held in higher esteem than a woman’s.

Of course, we mustn’t forget that this is a light-hearted baking show, and the contestants clearly do adore being recognised for their hard work with Hollywood’s extended hand.

Still, the unequal power dynamic between Paul and Prue is increasingly hard to ignore – and reminds us of every time an experienced woman has been overlooked in the workplace in favour of a confident man.

We’d like to petition for Prue to have her own handshake – the ‘Prue Pat’, as some on social media have called it. Or, as others have suggested, she could bestow her signature necklace on successful bakers like a medal, instead.

Now, that’s a prize we’d truly appreciate.

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5 Myths Debunked About How The Covid Vaccine Affects Pregnancy And Fertility

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There is no pattern from any reports so far which suggest any of the vaccines used in the UK, or reactions to them, increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.

It said the numbers of reports of miscarriages and stillbirth are “low in relation to the number of pregnant women who have received Covid-19 vaccines to date and how commonly these events occur in the UK outside of the pandemic”.

Myth 2: The jab will affect your fertility

There is no evidence to indicate the Covid-19 vaccine will affect fertility or the ability to have children, according to the UK’s medical regulator.

The rigorous evaluation completed to date did not show a link between changes to menstrual periods and related symptoms and Covid-19 vaccines.

The number of reports of menstrual disorders and vaginal bleeding is low in relation to both the number of people who have received vaccines to date and how common menstrual disorders are generally.

The menstrual changes reported are mostly transient in nature. There is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines will affect fertility and the ability to have children.

Myth 3: The vaccine will affect birth outcomes

There is no evidence that having the coronavirus vaccine when pregnant is altering birth outcomes, a UK study concluded.

The research – which was the first from the UK focusing on safety outcomes for pregnant women – found similar birth outcomes for those who have had a Covid-19 vaccine and those who have not. Similar studies have been conducted abroad.

There were no statistically significant differences in the data, with no increase in stillbirths or premature births, no abnormalities with development and no evidence of babies being smaller or bigger, the research team at St George’s, University of London said.

Thousands of pregnant women in England have been vaccinated against coronavirus, with no safety concerns reported.

Myth 4: The vaccine is riskier than Covid

Some parents-to-be are worried about what the vaccine will mean for their unborn child. However, several studies have shown that the vaccine is safe for pregnant mums and their babies, especially as the vaccine does not include a live strain of the virus.

In fact, if mums choose not to get vaccinated but catch Covid, this is more likely to affect the baby.

Pregnant women who do get symptomatic Covid-19, particularly in the third trimester, are two to three times more likely to give birth to their baby prematurely, according to data from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System. Premature birth remains the leading cause of death, illness and disability in babies.

Myth 5: There are too many ‘mixed messages’ about the vaccine

Over half of pregnant women (58%) have declined the Covid-19 vaccination, according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). The groups blame “mixed messages” about the vaccine and pregnancy earlier in the pandemic.

However, both the NHS and CDC (US Centres for Disease Control), plus the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), all recommend vaccinations for pregnant people.

Earlier in the pandemic, when the vaccine was newer and research only emerging, healthcare officials did warn against vaccinations for expectant mums. However, we now know far more about the virus and the vaccines, and earlier on in the year, healthcare officials said it was safe for this cohort to get the jab and actively encouraged them to do so.

So, there are plenty of reasons to go for the jab. If you have any other concerns about the jab while pregnant or trying for a baby, chat to your doctor or midwife.

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