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The world must halve single-use plastics and slash throwaway consumption to stem the tide of environmental pollution, according to a UN report on Tuesday that warns the...

Chickenpox is extremely common and spreads easily among children – resulting in that telltale itchy red rash. So it’s no surprise that many parents at some point find themselves asking: can I go to work if my child has chickenpox? What do parents need to know? We talked to healthcare professionals to find out. Can I go to work if my child has chickenpox? General NHS advice is anyone with chickenpox should stay off school or work until no longer contagious (when the spots have all scabbed over). But if it’s only your child who has chickenpox and not you, what then? “Parents can go to work if their child has chickenpox, as long as their child has appropriate care in place,” says Dr Zulqarnain Shah, medical director at SSP Health and GP at SSP Health practice Colne Road Surgery. “Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection that can spread easily to others who have not had the illness or been vaccinated against it. Isolating a contact [eg. the parent of an infected child] is not necessary with chickenpox, as it is so common.” However, there may be times when extra caution is sensible. Most of the time, chickenpox is unpleasant but not serious – but it can cause complications in certain cases, such as for newborn babies, and people who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system. So if you are unsure whether you might have contracted the virus from your child and there is a chance of spreading it to somebody potentially vulnerable, it might be a good idea to seek advice. How long does chickenpox usually last? “Chickenpox typically lasts for two weeks,” says Dr Yiannis Ioannou, consultant paediatrician at The Portland Hospital (part of HCA Healthcare UK). “During the first few days of infection, new spots can appear all over the body. However, these should dry up after around five to 10 days. Scabs will form and eventually fall off. You may notice new spots appearing as older ones are healing. This is normal and nothing to worry about, as it can take around two weeks for all spots to dry up. “Unfortunately, it can be spread very easily. Someone infected with chickenpox can spread the disease to others two days before spots appear. Chickenpox can also be passed on through pregnancy. This can pose a threat to your unborn child,” Ioannou adds. “If you begin to suffer from any symptoms related to chickenpox [while pregnant], consult with your doctor as soon as possible.” Shah also suggests checking in with your GP if you are pregnant and your child gets chickenpox, but you’ve never had it before. How do you treat chickenpox? Chickenpox should clear up on its own eventually, so treatment is mostly about easing symptoms and preventing complications. Shah says: “Parents can give their child paracetamol to help reduce fever and relieve pain. Ibuprofen is not recommended, as it can cause a reactive rash. It is also important to keep the skin clean and dry to prevent infection of the blisters. Avoid using aspirin as it may increase the risk of Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious illness that can occur in children with chickenpox.” Chickenpox can be very itchy. Ioannou says applying calamine can help. “You can often buy this over the counter at your local pharmacy. Dab the lotion directly onto the spots to provide relief.” Keeping babies’ and toddlers’ nails trimmed and clean is also helpful, plus gloves and mittens can help prevent scratching. Are there times when chickenpox requires medical advice for children? Shah suggests chickenpox in children is usually mild. “However, there are certain signs that may indicate a need to speak to a doctor and get additional advice,” he adds. “These include a high fever that lasts more than four days, severe coughing or trouble breathing, severe skin rash, or if the child seems very sick or weak. Parents should also seek medical attention if their child has a weakened immune system.” Ioannou says it’s important to be mindful of dehydration in babies and younger tots too. He adds: “If you are worried about your baby or child it is always important to seek medical advice.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live What is mitochondrial donation treatment and who can get it? Pensioner, 85, shares the simple switch that’s helped him to do 650,000 press-ups Angelina Jolie shares tribute to late mum and urges women with family cancer history to get checked

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It was billed as the glistening jewel in Formula 1’s crown. In all but name, this was the new Monaco. But the biggest race on the sport’s 2023 calendar – the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix on the streets of Sin City – descended into a total disaster on opening night. Even for the entertainment capital of the world, nobody could have conjured up this story of incompetence. Make no mistake: this was a shambles. A complete and utter shambles. What started with Carlos Sainz’s car substantially damaged by a loose water valve cover just after 8:30pm on Thursday night ended at 4am on Friday morning in front of empty grandstands, with fans instructed at 1:30am to head for the exits. Put out of their misery, they trudged home having seen just eight minutes of cars on track. For two men with their heads exhaustingly bowed downwards on a fan zone table, it was finally home time. A refund must surely be imminent. F1, so we were told, had left no stone unturned in preparation for this racing extravaganza. A new $500m pit building was built. Unlike their previous forgettable experience in Vegas back in the 1980s, they had cajoled all the major casinos and hotels into a favourable position. The third of three races in the United States this year, the Netflix-inspired American audience waited eagerly for action to commence. But for all the relentless marketing, self-promotion and hype, the fundamental basics of the sport were ruefully ignored here. A day on from an opening ceremony which made three-time world champion Max Verstappen feel like a “clown”, confusion immediately reigned when Sainz pulled his Ferrari car over on the Vegas strip, eight minutes into the first of two practice sessions scheduled. Yet replays quickly showed that the Spaniard had not made a mistake. He had instead run over a loose manhole cover, triggering a complete failure of the engine. The floor of the car was also badly damaged and, frankly, he was lucky the car did not spear off into the wall. With safety coming first – and every drain cover now needing to be double-checked on the strip section of the circuit – the session was cancelled. To add salt to the wounds, Sainz was later given a time penalty due to taking a new gearbox as a result of the incident. Sometimes, common sense fails to prevail. Usually so softly spoken, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was livid with F1 and labelled the farcical start to proceedings as “unacceptable” in an exquisitely timed team principals’ press conference. Sat next to him was Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, who took the opposite view and hit the roof when asked if the evening’s events represented a “black eye” for F1. “It’s completely ridiculous,” he said. “How can you even dare talk bad about an event that sets the new standards to everything?” Really, Toto? New standards? With a second one-hour practice session scheduled for midnight, the updates coming through were inadequately sparse. Every hour was amateur hour. Spectators who had paid thousands of dollars to experience night one in Vegas were left in the dark. Would we have any cars on track? The answer was yes – but there would be no fans to see it. Following delay after delay, a start time of 2:30am was eventually pencilled in. But an hour earlier, fans were told over the tannoy to leave owing to “logistical considerations.” In reality, staff had to depart in order to return for their scheduled start time later on Friday – meaning the fans were given their marching orders too. So the obvious question begs: why on earth was that decision not made sooner? By the time cars entered the track, manholes suitably covered, there was an eerie emptiness on the terraces. For an event anticipated to attract 100,000 people a day, it felt like the pandemic once again. It did not matter that Charles Leclerc was fastest; what mattered was that by the time the day finally concluded, nobody really cared. All in all, it represents a mighty old screw-up from Formula 1. Verstappen said on Wednesday the whole event felt like “99% show, 1% sporting event” and on this evidence it is hard not to agree with him. The start times were late enough before it alienated an entire American audience eager for some sleep. There are some serious lessons to be learned. And looking ahead to two more days, as team personnel and reporters alike trundle home with glimpses of the sun on the horizon, it may well take something special to reinvigorate proceedings this weekend. It is recoverable – it has to be, given the investment made here. But let there be no doubt: with the eyes of the world on F1 and the bright lights of Vegas, they dropped the ball tonight. This morning. Whatever the time is. Read More Carlos Sainz handed ‘ridiculous’ penalty after drain cover crash at Las Vegas GP Las Vegas GP resumes in front of empty stands as fans sent home at 1:30am Ferrari team boss fumes over damage to Sainz car: ‘Just unacceptable’ Jacques Villeneuve becomes first F1 driver to get married in paddock at Las Vegas GP Five times a manhole cover stopped F1 in its tracks Watch: Sainz hits loose drain cover on Las Vegas track as F1 practice turns to chaos

We all have our favourite pair of PJs we come back to – time after time. Some of us may even have special pyjamas for lounging around in and feeling comfy when snuggled up with Netflix on the sofa. But because they’re only worn inside the house and for sleeping (well, most of the time), the rules can seem different when it comes to PJ maintenance. So, how often should we be washing them and switching to a clean pair? Do you need to wash your pyjamas daily? “You might be surprised to know the answer is no!” says cleaning and laundry expert Laura Mountford, author of Live, Laugh, Laundry. “Like all of our clothing, many of us may be guilty of washing our pyjamas too frequently, or perhaps not enough. But in reality, pyjamas should be washed after every two or three wears. Washing them after every wear, unless they are actually stained, smelly or sweaty, is unnecessary – a waste of money, water and energy,” Mountford adds. She suggests pyjamas can be left to air between wears, and this should be sufficient for them to freshen up ready for the next night – so putting them under your pillow probably isn’t the best idea. Should you wash them more in the summer? “I wash my pyjamas more in the summer when the nights are hot,” says Mountford, “as sweat can cause bacteria growth, which will make them smell. And nobody wants to snuggle into bed in sweaty pyjamas, do they?” What’s the most hygienic way to wash your pyjamas? Sophie Lane, product training manager at Miele GB, says: “Wash pyjamas at the highest temperature the fabric can cope with – check the garment care label. This will deliver the most hygienic clean. Detergent is also important to achieving good results.” Are different materials more or less hygienic? Natural fabrics like cotton are the most hygienic, suggests Mountford, as they are breathable, so bacteria and sweat builds up less quickly compared to manmade fabrics like polyester. Lane agrees, adding: “Cotton is also extremely durable and can withstand high temperature washes. Bamboo is another good fabric option for pyjamas. It’s very breathable whilst being effective at thermal regulating, to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It’s also anti-bacterial, hypo-allergenic and odour-resistant.” What happens if you don’t wash pyjamas regularly? Mountford says: “Most of us wear our pyjamas for eight hours each night, so not washing them frequently enough can cause bacteria to grow, making them smelly and unhygienic… not very cosy at all. This may reduce the quality of your sleep,” she adds – noting it could result in “skin irritation” too. Does it make a difference if you shower before bed or in the morning? “Showering before bed keeps your pyjamas and bedding fresher for longer, as you are jumping into bed with a clean body, having already removed the dirt, bacteria and allergens from the day,” says Mountford. “Not showering before bed will cause these particles to be transferred onto your nightwear and bedding, which will cause them to get dirty and smelly more quickly.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Beginner’s guide to buying second-hand furniture These are the best shorter daffodils to plant now for spring – according to RHS trials Do I need to treat my garden furniture before storing it for winter?

A woman has claimed there a seven words that can prove that your partner is cheating on you. In a video on Instagram, influencer Mariah Fernando, who has more than 231,000 followers, said any man who uses the phrase “Go ahead and believe what you want” when confronted about being unfaithful probably has been. “If you’re confronting your man for cheating and he says [that], I hate to break it to you ladies, but that man is guilty. He is guilty,” she added. Commenting on her video, it's safe to say people were divided in their response. Some clearly didn't agree with her, with one writing: "No it doesn’t it means you’ve accused him so many times he doesn’t care anymore." "If you think someone is cheating just leave," advised another. "Don’t play games like you’re Sherlock Holmes. Usually the accuser is the guilty one anyway." And a third said: "So is a woman if she gives the same answer." Some were more on board with her claim, with one saying: “I agree because if he was innocent he would be aggressively defending himself." It doesn't sound like an exact science to us, but maybe it is something to look out for... Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

UPDATE: Aug. 8, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with new picks

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