Latest news with #InfluenzaA
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Sir Rod Stewart's Glastonbury star guests revealed as legend, 80, admits he almost CANCELLED festival over freak illness
SIR ROD STEWART will take to the Pyramid Stage for one final time tomorrow in the famous Legends slot. But during an exclusive chat with me before his arrival at Worthy Farm, the rock legend admitted he was close to cancelling the epic 90-minute show just days ago after being struck down with illness. 10 10 'I've had to cancel five shows because of this bastard flu,' Rod roars. 'This time last week I was thinking of cancelling. It was a close shave. I have had Influenza A. It's been so terrible. 'But my dear wife Penny and some good medical people got me through it. There was a lot of technical massaging from some very good people I know, which sounds filthy doesn't it? You've got no idea. 'But my dear wife, she said to me 'You are going to do this. It's mind over matter.' She nursed me back to health. She really is a great girl. 'Honestly Ellie, it's the worst thing anyone could possibly have, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.' With a devious giggle, Rod adds: 'Apart from Putin. I'd wish it on him.' Solemnly he continued: 'I am really looking forward to it now. I feel honoured and privileged, considering four days ago I wasn't going to make it.' Rod's slot is gearing up to be one of the best Legend slots Glastonbury has seen for years and the Maggie May singer — who has enjoyed six No1 singles in his career — has got a treat lined up for fans with his guests. 'Mick Hucknall and I are going to come up and sing She Was Only A Pilot's Daughter But She Kept Her Cockpit Clean,' Rod roars with laughter. 'Only joking. We are going to sing If You Don't Know Me By Now. And then Lulu is coming on. 'She is going to sing Hot Legs and then Ronnie Wood is coming on with me and Lulu to do Stay With Me.' We're really sounding good. 'All three of my guests are in excellent form and are playing well. We had the best rehearsal yesterday.' Rod sounds fighting fit and raring to go as we chat on the phone, him from his home in Essex and me in the blazing sunshine down at Worthy Farm. 'I don't know what I am going to wear, darling,' Rod laughs. 'It is so hot. I'm so excited. The Glastonbury people have been very good to me. 'I only had an hour and 15 and I said, 'Mate, I can't do an hour and 15, I've got so many songs people want to hear,' and, bless them, they gave me another 15 minutes which was wonderful. 'I've got 20 odd songs on the set list and it's usually 29. There are so many songs I can't do. "And we're not just doing slow ones. We're doing three fast songs, then some slow ones, and then some fast ones to keep it all going.' Rod will be joined on the farm by his family for the iconic slot, which is expected to draw in a crowd of 250,000 people on site — as well as millions tuning in at home. 'Penny will be out the front,' Rod explains. Then three of my kids are already on site. 'We're so excited' 'Ruby has come, Renee and Alistair are there. And Aiden will be there. That's four out of the eight. 'I'm driving down on Saturday evening and I am staying in Bath. 'We're going to have a good band p***-up the night before.' Rod — who last played Glastonbury back in 2002 — says the sight of his band stepping foot on the farm is one thing he's really looking forward to. 'We are all so excited but I have done it before,' Rod explains. 'But all the guys in my band have never done it apart from the drummer. 'And I've got six girls in the band and they are beside themselves with excitement because they're American — they never thought they'd get on the Glastonbury stage. 'I'm honestly more happy for the band than I am for myself. It feels a privilege. I can't wait.' We've got our Rod wigs ready and will be down the front with Penny to watch the legend himself tomorrow. Bring it on. LORDE celebrated the release of new album Virgin by playing it from start to finish in a surprise set. She opened the Woodsies stage yesterday morning but after news of her show was leaked, the area was closed off almost an hour before she took to the stage, as thousands flocked there. 10 But the Kiwi singer, dressed in a white T-shirt and matching trousers, admitted she thought she might never return with music after struggling following the release of her third record Solar Power. She told the crowd: 'This is f***ing sick. 'I decided to play the entire record for you front to back. 'I didn't know if I would make another record, but I'm back here. 'I'm so grateful for you for waiting. It's going to be a sick festival.' PLAQUE FOR GOOD, ROBBIE? ROBBIE WILLIAMS got fans' hopes up that he would be performing again at the festival when he shared a photo of this fake blue plaque on Instagram. It marked 30 years since Rob 'entered this area without accreditation, authorisation, or alignment with prevailing taste. His presence was uninvited, unofficial and ultimately inevitable.' 10 The singer caused a stir in 1995 when he attended Glasto fresh from quitting Take That. The singer has only played there once in 1998. But the Rock DJ singer sadly swerved a return to the event this year. PALOMA FAITH is popping her Glastonbury cherry as a punter. The Only Love Can Hurt Like This singer, who performed on the Pyramid Stage last year, is at Worthy Farm this weekend and told our Jack she's looking forward to not working. Paloma said: 'This year is going to be the first year of my life that I've ever been to Glastonbury as a punter. 'I'm camping. 'I'm doing the whole thing. 'To be honest I've been dreading it. 'The reason why I've never done a festival before is because I don't like the thought of camping. 'But then I thought, 'I can't knock it until I've tried it.'' Asked if she was slumming in a £10 tent from Argos or in one of the push yurts, Paloma said with a grin: 'It is quite posh,' before asking: 'What's a yurt? Mine's glamping.' Giving her best festival confession, Paloma added: 'I went to a festival before I was signed to a record label. 'My boyfriend forgot the bedding. 'I was fuming and as I had a gig I made him sleep naked and I used his clothes as a duvet. 'He was shivering.' JAMES NORTON had me – and plenty of others – howling as he joined other celebs in reading out letters yesterday. The actor was among a string of stars, including Simon Pegg and Benedict Cumberbatch, on the Greenpeace Stage for Letters Live. 10 10 He read a 2013 one to a newspaper about disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. James, who is dating singer Lily Allen, read out: 'I think it is just terrible and disgusting how everyone continues to treat Lance Armstrong – especially after what he achieved by winning seven Tour de France races while competing on drugs. 'The last time I was on drugs, I couldn't even find my bike.' I reckon there'll be a fair few people in that state on Worthy Farm. CHARLI'S EARLY TO THE PARTY TONIGHT'S Other Stage headliner Charli XCX has been on site since Thursday, making the most of her weekend at Worthy Farm. Joined by her fiancé, The 1975 drummer George Daniel – whose band headlined the Pyramid Stage last night – Charli was seen strutting through hospitality on Thursday before heading up to the Woodsies Stage where they checked out Daniel Avery's set. They then slipped backstage at the Pyramid to a staff area to relax away from prying eyes. Speaking to Bizarre, Charli said: 'I'm trying to keep a low profile. I'm here to have fun.' Yesterday, Charli was up early cheering on pal Lorde from the side of the stage for her secret set at Woodsies.
The Citizen
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Swine Flu has many in bed in eMalahleni
Look after yourself, Swine Flu has taken hold of eMalahleni. Doctors' rooms are full, and pharmacists are running around trying to fill everyone's prescriptions. More than 10 years after the 2009 pandemic, Swine Flu, officially called Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, continues to appear in South Africa during the cold, dry winter months. Though many people now think of it as just another seasonal illness, health experts warn that it can still be serious, especially for those at higher risk. Professor Cheryl Cohen, a South African expert in respiratory viruses, explained, 'Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 is one of the three main types of seasonal flu. Even though it originally came from pigs, the version we see today spreads easily from one person to another and is fully adapted to humans.' Since the 2009 outbreak, H1N1 has become a regular part of the flu season. The symptoms are like a strong cold: fever, chills, body aches, tiredness, and a dry cough. But in some people, the illness can quickly get worse. 'It can cause serious problems like pneumonia,' said Cohen. 'Most people get better, but people with other health problems or weak immune systems are much more likely to end up in hospital or worse.' People most at risk include the elderly, young children, those with heart or lung diseases, and individuals with compromised immune systems, especially people living with HIV/AIDS. In communities where access to healthcare is limited, the virus can become life-threatening. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) urges people, especially those in high-risk groups, to get vaccinated annually. The flu vaccine, which includes protection against H1N1, is available at public health clinics and private pharmacies across the country. It is free for children, the elderly, and people with chronic conditions at government clinics. Simple preventive measures can make a big difference: Get vaccinated every year. Wash your hands regularly. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Avoid close contact with sick individuals. Stay home if you are unwell. Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen. Local resident Renate Viljoen, who is currently recovering from the flu, said, 'It started with body aches and a fever, and I thought it was nothing. But by the next day, I could hardly get out of bed. People must not wait; go to the clinic early.' Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok Chat to us: info@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Business Wire
16-06-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
Integrated DNA Technologies Announces Innovation Roadmap Advances to Infectious Disease Portfolio
CORALVILLE, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), a global genomics leader, is expanding its infectious disease portfolio with new solutions to enhance worldwide research efforts in monitoring infectious disease dynamics, supporting surveillance and accelerating biomarker discovery. As part of its innovation roadmap, focused on enabling academic and medical researchers, health organizations, and the scientific community prepare for ongoing and future global health challenges, IDT has unveiled two new powerful tools: The PrimeTime™ Influenza Kit and PrimeTime Research Pathogen Panels. These differentiated offerings expand upon IDT's current infectious disease portfolio of qPCR and next generation sequencing (NGS) solutions comprised of stand-alone library preparation, target enrichment and normalization chemistries, as well as connected DNA solutions, to support researchers exploring viral evolution, epidemiological studies, drug resistance mechanisms, drug development research and more. 'Building on IDT's storied impact on the global fight against infectious diseases, these new tools reflect the ongoing innovation investments we're making to empower researchers to stay ahead of current and emerging health challenges,' said Adler Edward. Share First to Market: Complete Solution for Influenza Research Launching at ASM Microbe 2025 is IDT's PrimeTime Influenza Kit, the first complete qPCR solution of its kind designed specifically to amplify common influenza strains. The kit targets Influenza A, Influenza A (H5N1), Influenza B, and RNase. It includes an internal control for sample quality assessment, a pre-mixed primer and probe set, PrimeTime 4x Broad-Range Master Mix and direct amplification enhancer. This streamlined solution enables researchers to generate high-confidence data for both seasonal and emerging influenza strains. New Cost-effective Solution to Accelerate Sexual Health and Pathogen Research IDT is also showcasing its new PrimeTime Research Pathogen Panels, a customizable, high-throughput solution that allows researchers to identify key sequences and mutations across 10 diverse research applications—spanning respiratory, gastrointestinal and sexual health studies—and an 11th category for viral infection research. The mix-and-match format across targets and dyes enables scientists to select from a broad list of targets to maximize cost and time savings. The panels' flexible assay configuration facilitates rapid, multiplexed detection and characterization of pathogens, with up to 211 available targets including sexually transmitted infections, human papillomavirus, urinary tract infections and more. With seamless integration into existing qPCR workflows, this single-tube offering equips researchers with innovative tools for exploring pathogen dynamics across individual and population-level studies. 'Building on IDT's storied impact on the global fight against infectious diseases, these new tools reflect the ongoing innovation investments we're making to empower researchers to stay ahead of current and emerging health challenges,' said Adler Edward, VP, Gene Reading Components at IDT. 'By delivering robust, customizable and high-quality solutions, backed by IDT's trusted technical and scientific expertise, researchers can feel confident in accelerating their discoveries and deepening their understanding of pathogen dynamics in human health.' To learn more about IDT's infectious disease innovation roadmap and how these new offerings are shaping the future of virus transmission research, visit IDT at ASM Microbe 2025 at booth #1723. To place an order, click here. About IDT Building from a strong foundation of innovation, expertise, and reliability, Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has evolved from an oligo manufacturer to a leading genomics provider. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with scientific and global health partners to enable genomics breakthroughs at scale. Our vision of enabling researchers to rapidly move from the lab to life-changing advances reflects our ongoing commitment to a healthier, brighter future for all. IDT is proud to be part of Danaher, a global science and technology leader. Together we combine our capabilities to accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow's science and technology to improve human health. For more information about IDT, visit and follow the company on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Disclaimer: RUO — For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, IDT does not intend these products to be used in clinical applications and does not warrant their fitness or suitability for any clinical diagnostic use. Purchaser is solely responsible for all decisions regarding the use of these products and any associated regulatory or legal obligations.
Eyewitness News
11-06-2025
- Health
- Eyewitness News
Doctors reporting a range of flu infections this winter season
CAPE TOWN - The winter season in 2025 has brought with it more than just icy cold and rainy conditions. Doctors are reporting a range of flu infections, which include Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Influenza A, better known as swine flu and Influenza B types. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NCID) said there has been an increase in these types of infections this winter season. The institute's Anne von Gottberg explained: 'Most predominantly, it's been H1N1, which is not unexpected, we've had one or two other types, and there's three types that we would be expecting - two Influenza A types and one influenza B type - and at the moment, its exactly as expected.' Gottberg said flu vaccines are assessed each year to make sure they are still a good preventative measure. 'Well, they are slightly different, which is why we need to give the influenza vaccine each year. So, the influenza virus drifts a little. It has small changes in its genome, in its genetic background, and that makes it slightly different each year and that's the reason for reviewing the vaccine and making sure that we have updated influenza virus components in the Influenza vaccine.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Avian flu fast facts: What to know about the bird flu
Avian influenza, also called avian flu or bird flu, is an illness that usually affects only birds. There are many different strains of avian flu: 16 H subtypes and 9 N subtypes. Only those labeled H5, H7 and H10 have caused deaths in humans. The most commonly seen and most deadly form of the virus is called 'Influenza A (H5N1),' or the 'H5N1 virus.'
