Covid-19: Pupils promised exam 'fairness' and vaccine a 'game-changer' for NHS staff
- Published
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 GMT.
1. Pupils to be told which exam topics they will face
Extra measures to "boost fairness and support students" will be used for next summer's GCSE and A-level exams in England, ministers say. A headteachers' union describes the proposal, which includes more generous grading, advance notice of exam topics and additional papers, as "a reasonable package" to make up for the disruption faced by students during the pandemic.
2. How will the new vaccine work?
After the announcement that vaccinations against Covid-19 will start in the UK as early as next week, our health correspondent Laura Foster explains who will get it first and how. You can find all you need to know about the UK's vaccination plans on our dedicated coronavirus page.
3. Questions over use of 'do not resuscitate' orders
Doctors may have made decisions about "do not resuscitate orders" without consent, when care services were under extreme pressure during the first wave of the pandemic, a watchdog says. The Care Quality Commission says the number of complaints about the use of such orders jumped to 40 between March and September, compared with nine in the previous six months.
4. 'Coronavirus ended our marriage'
"We started to fight about things. Futile, unimportant things." That's the observation of just one of many couples whose relationship has suffered during the pandemic. Anecdotally, divorce lawyers in the UK and US have reported significant increases in enquiries, with one firm in Washington DC recording 70% more calls this October than last.
5. 'More than good news, it's a game changer'
With NHS staff set to be among the first to get the newly-approved Pfizer vaccine, Newsbeat has been hearing how it will change the lives of under-pressure NHS staff. "It feels like a glimmer hope on what's been such a difficult year," says Cardiff doctor Sara Otung, who has been keeping herself away from vulnerable loved-ones since March.
And don't forget...
You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.
If you're concerned about the safety of the coronavirus vaccines, BBC News online health editor Michelle Roberts runs through the precautions taken ahead of approval.
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