Chronic illness has made me a self isolation expert: here’s how to ease yourself out of lockdown

After months of staying inside it’s natural to feel nervous about leaving the safety of our homes - even if we desperately want to. One writer, who is no stranger to self-isolating, explains what to expect

Denied beds, pain relief and contact with their babies: the women giving birth amid Covid-19

Following reports by women worldwide, experts are warning that Covid-19 is pushing back progress on prenatal and maternity care

Dutch official advice to single people: find a sex buddy for lockdown

Those without a sexual partner asked to come to mutually satisfactory agreements

‘Social mothers’: the women who helped a Brazilian city halve its child death rate

Sobral had one of Brazil’s highest infant mortality rates, but a groundbreaking health scheme has drastically reduced its number of child deaths

Snowflake or safety first? How face masks were drawn into Trump’s culture wars

Everything is partisan in the US now – even death. As such, choosing whether or not to cover your face has become a political statement, writes Arwa Mahdawi

Poverty kills people: after coronavirus we can no longer ignore it

Even before the virus struck, life expectancy was in decline for those at the sharp end of Britain’s growing health inequality, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

Why coronavirus might just create a more equal society in Britain

The pandemic has forced the government to put wellbeing before growth, say academics and authors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett

‘I was alone’: how giving birth is changing during the pandemic

Maternal care has been derailed due to coronavirus – and advocates warn the outcome could be disastrous for black mothers as they navigate US hospitals

Sudan to outlaw female genital mutilation

Campaigners welcome move to criminalise those carrying out FGM, but warn it will take time to eradicate practice entirely

Condom sales down as lockdown limits sex lives, says Durex maker

Physical distancing rules to limit coronavirus spread taking toll on ‘number of intimate occasions’