What You Need To Know

ITV News

The quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories. Our team of specialist correspondents plus guests bring you information and analysis you can trust so you get What You Need To Know in minutes.

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705 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes705

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Apr 23, 2020 · 20 min
How often should you be cleaning your home to keep it virus-free? Advice from the 'Queen of Clean'
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 cleaning your mobile phone and post and food deliveries. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe so you get the latest ones straightaway. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 22, 2020 · 17 min
Should we all be wearing face masks now?
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 changed their guidance - in America, it's recommended people wear cloth face masks when outside their homes. And the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called for people to wear non-medical face masks or coverings like scarves or bandanas when travelling. There's also the question of how effective face coverings are in stopping the spread of Covid-19. ITV News Health Correspondent Emily Morgan and ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke speak to Trisha Greenhalgh, professor of primary care health sciences at the University of Oxford, who explains why she thinks we should all start wearing face coverings, which are different to the surgical face masks needed by frontline NHS workers. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe so you get the latest ones straightaway. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 21, 2020 · 21 min
Why is coronavirus disproportionately affecting the UK's BAME communities?
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. That compares to BAME people accounting for 13 percent of the population in England and Wales, according to the last census. And in our health service, people from BAME backgrounds have accounted for two thirds of NHS deaths so far. So what's happening? ITV News' Rageh Omaar has been investigating this issue. He speaks to Mary Nightingale about the socio-economic and cultural factors that are playing a part. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe so you get the latest ones straightaway. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 20, 2020 · 8 min
Q&A: Does the BCG vaccine protect against coronavirus, can key workers be furloughed - and can you still get your dog groomed?
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 and consumer questions to Dr Sarah Jarvis and ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi. Among the questions this week: can key workers be furloughed under the government's Job Retention Scheme, is it safe to have an operation in hospital right now, and what's the truth behind claims that people with the BCG vaccine might be protected against Covid-19? You can watch Coronavirus: Q&A live on ITV every Monday at 8pm and we'll bring you an audio version of each edition every Monday evening on this podcast feed. If you have a health or consumer question you would like our experts to answer on the programme, email coronavirus@itv.com. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 17, 2020 · 18 min
GPs could 'quite possibly' have Covid-19 vaccine by Christmas - professor working on UK trial gives us the details
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 Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford - they plan to start human trials of a vaccine in the coming days. ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke and ITV News Health Correspondent Emily Morgan spoke to Professor Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford. He told us about the trial he's involved in, and why he thinks it will be the first one to finish testing this summer, and - if all goes well - how GPs could be giving the vaccines to patients by the end of the year. He also explained why waiting for coronavirus cases to drop would actually harm efforts to quickly develop a vaccine. The Oxford trial is receiving funding as part of a government vaccine taskforce announced on Friday. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 16, 2020 · 14 min
NHS Nightingale chief nurse: We're not through the worst yet
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 West Country will open, in Bristol. ITV News' Kylie Pentelow speaks to Hayley Peters, the nurse in charge of the new unit at the University of the West of England, which will have 1,000 beds. We find out how coronavirus patients will be treated, the kind of care they'll receive - and if there's a need for the hospital at all. We also ask about what's being done to manage the mental health of NHS staff at such a challenging time. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 15, 2020 · 14 min
Why do some people die from coronavirus while others don't know they even have it?
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 what does that tell us about the disease? ITV News Health Correspondent Emily Morgan and ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke talk to Dr Alison Pittard, a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine in Leeds who is from the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 14, 2020 · 20 min
How to deal with relationship problems during lockdown
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 You can also contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline or call the free 24 hour hotline on 0808 2000 247. Refuge are also available to help - www.refuge.org.uk. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 13, 2020 · 15 min
Government's Chief Scientific Adviser admits UK testing was not scaled up quickly enough - plus your health and consumer questions answered
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 level" at the start of the outbreak, it has "not scaled as fast as it needs to scale". Among the other viewer questions answered by Sir Patrick included why there appears to be a higher incidence of coronavirus amongst minority ethnic groups. GP Dr Sarah Jarvis and ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi also answered your health and consumer questions - including what exactly is the risk of pets spreading the virus. You can watch Coronavirus: Q&A live on ITV every Monday at 8pm and we'll bring you an audio version of each edition every Monday evening on this podcast feed. If you have a health or consumer question you would like our experts to answer on the programme, email coronavirus@itv.com. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 9, 2020 · 16 min
Care homes: The 'forgotten frontline' in the coronavirus crisis
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 coronavirus tests - meaning many are having to self-isolate, unable to work and look after vulnerable residents. It's a difficult time for relatives too - with all visits banned, they're only able to talk to their loved ones through a window. Paul talks to Mary Nightingale about what he witnessed on his recent visits to care homes, and the concerns from staff, with many feeling like 'second class citizens' compared to NHS workers. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 8, 2020 · 20 min
Is coronavirus keeping you awake at night? Advice from a sleep expert
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 to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 7, 2020 · 19 min
Inside an intensive care unit as staff and patients fight coronavirus - an eyewitness report from the 'red zone'
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 ill coronavirus patients. Emily talks to Mary Nightingale about what she saw: the staff on the frontline who are under almost intolerable pressure - made all the more challenging as patients in their final moments cannot be consoled by their loved ones. Emily spoke to patients who successfully recovered from the virus - and explains exactly what treatment coronavirus patients get in intensive care. You can watch Emily's report from inside the Royal Bournemouth Hospital here: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-04-06/it-is-scary-inside-the-intensive-care-unit-where-nhs-staff-and-patients-are-battling-coronavirus/ We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 6, 2020 · 12 min
Q&A: Boris Johnson in intensive care, should you wear a mask - and the 5G conspiracy theory
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 whether you need to wear a mask, answer questions about pay and bringing your children to the supermarket - plus debunk the conspiracy theory that 5G masts are spreading the virus. You can watch Coronavirus: Q&A live on ITV every Monday at 8pm - and we'll bring you an audio version of each edition every Monday evening on this podcast feed. If you have a question, email coronavirus@itv.com - and you can get the latest developments on the outbreak at itv.com/news.
Apr 3, 2020 · 12 min
The 'game changer' antibody test: When will it be ready and how accurate will it be?
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 of the antibody tests.
Apr 2, 2020 · 12 min
An intensive care specialist on how ventilators work, why they're crucial and whether the NHS has enough of them
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 they? Charlotte Summers, an intensive care specialist at the University of Cambridge, speaks to ITV News Health Correspondent Emily Morgan and ITV News Science Editor Tom Clarke about how ventilators are being used during the coronavirus outbreak, the rate of success the equipment has in keeping patients alive, and the new breathing aids that are quickly being developed. Charlotte also tells the NHS has enough ventilators for patients right now - but that situation will change very quickly. We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Apr 1, 2020 · 15 min
America braces itself for a grim death toll, how the poorest Americans will be hardest hit - and how will crisis affect Trump?
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 would be able to re-open in time for Easter, just over a week from now. U.S. states are competing against each other to get vital ventilators for their own hospitals, and America's healthcare system means that those who lose their job will also lose their healthcare - a double blow for some of the country's poorest. Mary Nightingale talks to ITV News Washington Correspondent Robert Moore for his analysis of the situation in America. Robert is presenting an edition of ITV's Tonight programme on the outbreak in America - you can watch that at 7.30 on Thursday 3 April on ITV, or on catchup at itv.com (UK users only). We regularly release new episodes of Coronavirus: What You Need To Know - subscribe to be notified of the latest episodes. For the latest coronavirus news, information and advice, go to www.itv.com/news.
Mar 30, 2020 · 15 min
Q&A: Dominic Raab answers your questions - plus your questions answered on isolation, holidays - and haircuts
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 right now. In this episode, ITV News Presenter Nina Hossain puts your questions to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, GP Dr Sarah Jarvis and ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi. You can watch Coronavirus: Q&A live on ITV every Monday at 8pm - and we'll bring you an audio version of each edition every Monday evening on this podcast feed. If you have a question, email coronavirus@itv.com - and you can get the latest developments on the outbreak at itv.com/news.
Mar 27, 2020 · 22 min
How are you coping? 20 tips to help manage your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak
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 are the practical ways we stay well in our minds over the coming weeks and months? ITV News Presenter Julie Etchingham talks to Alastair Campbell - perhaps best known as Tony Blair's communications chief - but who's also an ambassador for mental health awareness and someone who has been very open about his own struggle with depression. We chat to him about a blog he published this week with 20 tips for guarding again depression and anxiety. You can see that list in full at www.alastaircampbell.org.
Mar 26, 2020 · 24 min
The situation in Europe: Why is the death toll so high in Italy and Spain?
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 reported from Italy - speaks to Mary Nightingale about the situation across Europe: the different approaches countries are taking and whether Italy has turned a corner in fighting the outbreak. Plus, with the UK and EU's attention focused on the pandemic, what does this mean for the UK-EU Brexit trade talks that are meant to be finished by the end of this year?
Mar 25, 2020 · 21 min
What it's like to live under lockdown in China, by our reporter in Beijing
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 been like to live in China since the outbreak began. China has so far had more than 81,000 cases, and more than 3,100 deaths. And with the lockdown in Wuhan about to come to an end, has China finally turned a corner in battling the virus - or is there still a way to go?