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  By Fergus Walsh Medical editor, Edited by - Amal Udawatta, IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES A new Covid sub-variant is causing some concern in the US, where it is spreading rapidly. Some cases have also been recorded in the UK, so what do you need to know about XBB.1.5? What is XBB.1.5? It is yet another offshoot of  the globally-dominant Omicron Covid variant . Omicron has outperformed the earlier Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta coronavirus variants since emerging in late 2021. Omicron has also given rise to many more contagious sub-variants. Symptoms of XBB.1.5 are thought to be  similar to those of previous Omicron strains . Most people experience cold-like symptoms. Is XBB.1.5 more infectious or dangerous? XBB.1.5 evolved from XBB, which began circulating in the UK in September 2022. XBB had a mutation that helped it beat the body's immune defences, but this same quality also reduced its ability to infect human cells. Prof Wendy Barclay from Imperial College London said XBB.1.5 has a

  By Max Matza BBC News, Edited by - Amal Udawatta, IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES An outbreak of measles in the US state of Ohio has infected 82 children so far - the biggest eruption of the disease in the county since 2019. The first cases were reported on 9 November near the city of Columbus at a nursery. By the end of the month, cases were seen at a market, mall and church. Nearly all of the cases have been in young children who are not fully vaccinated against the disease. Child vaccinations against measles fell amid the Covid pandemic, experts says. Measles is highly contagious - more so than Covid - and can cause serious illness. The figures reported over the past two months in Ohio are more than for the whole of the US in the previous two years. In 2022, 117 measles cases were reported, compared to 49 cases the previous year and 13 cases in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, 32 of the infected children in Ohio have been admitted to hospital.

  From  -Alcohol & Drug Foundation, Edited by -Amal Udawatta, Crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’, ice drug) is a  stimulant  drug, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and the body. It’s stronger, more addictive and therefore has more harmful side effects than the powder form of methamphetamine known as  speed . Ice usually comes as small chunky clear crystals that look like ice. It can also come as white or brownish crystal-like powder with a strong smell and bitter taste. Other names Crystal meth, shabu, crystal, glass, shard, P. How is it used? Ice is generally smoked (feel the effect almost immediately) or injected (15 to 30 seconds to feel the effects). It is sometimes swallowed (15 to 20 minutes to feel the effects) or snorted (3 to 5 minutes to feel the effects).              Effects of ice There is no safe level of drug use.  Use of any drug always carries some risk. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug. The ef