The Laws of Connection: Exploring the Impact of Social Relationships on Health

A third human case of bird flu has been reported in the US in a farmworker in Michigan who experienced respiratory symptoms. It follows a recent rapid spread of the virus among dairy cows across the country.

Claudia Hammond is joined by public health consultant Dr Ike Anya to discuss the latest developments, as half of the nation’s stockpile of the H5N1 vaccine is made ready to deploy.

We also hear from the women who’ve posted on social media that they’ve become pregnant after using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss. Claudia speaks to Dr Charlotte Moffat from the University of Ulster about whether the drugs could be interfering with birth control and boosting fertility.

We also hear from author David Robson about his new book ‘The Laws of Connection’, which explores the science and health effects of our social connections, and discuss what social strategies we can all take to improve how we socialise.

And Claudia and Ike take a look at a competition in South Korea trying to raise awareness of stress where the person with the lowest resting heart rate wins.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Dan Welsh Editor: Holly Squire