the headlines: a terrible milestone — more than 100,000 people have now died from coronavirus in the united states — that's more than the combined total of deaths from the korean, vietnam and iraq conflicts. those are the official figures, but the real total is likely to be much more. as protests rumble on in hong kong, the us secretary of state mike pompeo says the territory no longer merits special status under american law, because he says china is stripping it of its autonomy. the position of the global hub is now in question. and the first private sector mission to the international space station and the first crewed launch from us soil in nine years has been postponed due to bad weather. it's now thought that the spacex rocket will be launched on saturday. president trump has threatened

to close down the social media platform twitter after the company for the first time alerted users to fact—check some of the president's posts. the links — provided by the company — said the president's claims were unsubstantiated. in may, twitter announced a new policy on tackling misinformation as social media companies try to respond to claims that they're being used as vehicles for fake news — a problem that's worsened during the pandemic. marianna spring reports. just like coronavirus, misinformation has spread everywhere. and as it has spread, it has caused harm. people have died from poisonings in the us, vietnam, nigeria and iran. misinformation has fuelled racist attacks on muslims in india. false claims that 56 is spreading covid—i9 sparked arson attacks on telecommunications masts in belgium, russia, canada and the uk, where workers were targeted, too.

all i could hear them saying was, 56 is killing us all, we should be ashamed of ourselves as engineers and that i don't have any morals. i'd heard rumours, not from any news sources but people talking about, oh, well, you know, it could cause... it could have effects, people getting sick over the 5g towers being too close. brian's wife is still fighting for her life in hospital. as the human harm caused by misinformation rises, so doctors are speaking out. tales of patients trying to self—diagnose by holding their breath, not seeking help soon enough or taking poisonous substances they think will help. the problem with misinformation in this setting is it does two things. firstly, it obscures the truth, and then the second thing is that it might mean people start to do things that are going to be bad for them, and maybe dangerous, and they start to use treatments that don't work.

misinformation is a structural problem that we have and it's — and blaming someone for ingesting bleach or for staying at home and dying, to me is akin to blaming someone for living next to a factory that pollutes and then they die of pulmonary disease. i have spoken to the government and social media sites, who say they aim to stop the spread of disinformation that poses a threat to life. however, often misleading posts that post a less immediate threat could prove to bejust as dangerous, like conspiracies about vaccinations. anti—vaxx conspiracists have seen their numbers swell on facebook and doctors warn if left unchecked, they could undermine an effective vaccine. for the public to buy into any solution to this pandemic, facts must triumph overfiction online. marianna spring, bbc news. now philippa thomas hears the stories of people whose lives have been changed by covid—i9.

welcome to coronavirus: your stories, a programme about how covid—i9 is affecting people around the world. i'm philippa thomas, this week we are hearing stories from the hospital wards are a —— hospital wards. and a doctor who was also a beauty queen. we will first go to philadelphia in the united states where brett has been undergoing weeks of rehabilitation. this is my last full day of rehabilitation. i'm looking forward to the moment of being with my family after 2.5 months of being separated from them.

we will hear more about your experience, bread, buti we will hear more about your experience, bread, but ijust wanted to explain to our viewers, before covid—i9 hit you, you were probably healthier than the rest of us?” guess i was a fairly healthy guy. i had a few extra pounds, but i worked out five or six days a week. i like to eat healthy and fresh that the bulls and stay in tune with my body —— vegetables, and i would say i was of normal health. you were a coach as well? yes, i coach american football here in the united states, in newjersey, football here in the united states, in new jersey, southern football here in the united states, in newjersey, southern newjersey across the river from in newjersey, southern newjersey across the riverfrom philadelphia. fifth grade boys about 13 years old, andi fifth grade boys about 13 years old, and i went up and down the field quite a bit. well, i think the other member of our conversation has something in common with you. also a sports coach. i want to introduce brendan sheridan from west yorkshire

in england. how is today so far? similar days to when i came out of icu at penta fields. you also spent quite a lot of time in intensive care. and i think like brett, you we re care. and i think like brett, you were pretty healthy going in. covid—19 then hit you very fast? yeah. you know, itrain covid—19 then hit you very fast? yeah. you know, i train 5—6 times a week, just lie brett —— like brett and one day i got up phone, started getting shortness of breath, symptoms of covid—19, then i stopped breathing and work up a week later from mike 0mar. —— i woke up a week later coming out of a coma. do

remember what that was like?m must‘ve been serious because they woke up on the ventilator with the hood on. but was helping me breathe. but because i had picked up another infection, i needed ice to bring my temperatures down which froze my body a little bit. i couldn't really move when i first woke up. you know, panic set in when i realised where i was and what was going on. brett, dear member when you were taken off the ventilator and came out of your, and realised people were looking at you like you were some sort of exhibit? yes, i was in what they call a negative pressure room. i didn't know quite where i was. i remember them sort of telling me

that they were going to pull a tube out. i was still sort of midway asleep at that point. they walked me through the process and told me to ta ke through the process and told me to take a deep breath. they pulled the tube out and asked me to open my eyes. there was a world of people standing in front of me, sort of pain this double cleaned glass room —— double pained classroom, i saw someone —— double pained classroom, i saw someone the vestibule getting clothed up, another person making sure i was getting oxygen, continuing to read. it was an interesting experience. just like brandon, i couldn't move very much stop and i was starting to wonder just how i got there and what had transpired and how long i had been out. -- just like brendan. transpired and how long i had been out. --just like brendan. ithink

you were both the first patients in your hospitals you are into be put ona your hospitals you are into be put on a ventilator. brendan, hospital staff obviously trying the hardest but dealing with something new? yeah, i suppose it was dramatic for everybody, not just yeah, i suppose it was dramatic for everybody, notjust obviously the patients, but this stuff as well. it's a new pandemic and i suppose they are winging it a little bit. but obviously safety comes first. but, yeah, i just but obviously safety comes first. but, yeah, ijust remember especially being in the icu, just overrun. when i started to come out i realised i didn't actually find out what i actually had been through until i had my memory coming back stop i was the first on the ventilator and the youngest to have the covid-19 in

ventilator and the youngest to have the covid—19 in my hospital. speaking to family members, it was a traumatic experience, the ripple effect it has on the staff and the families is huge. so it's a pretty daunting experience, but we are finding out a little bit more after a workout. —— after i woke up. finding out a little bit more after a workout. -- after i woke up. and, brett, you are lucky to be in the rehab centre you are in now, but it isn't a given that you get to go to a rehab centre? no, it's not. we had to find a facility that was willing to find a facility that was willing to a cce pt to find a facility that was willing to accept a previously positive covid—19 patients. the folks at this location hadn't ta ken covid—19 patients. the folks at this location hadn't taken any prior to me, prior to myself, and are still considering whether —— were considering whether —— were considering whether —— were considering whether or not they would take any covid—19 folks. i am really grateful they did, this is an

amazing place. they now have an entire floor dedicated to covid—19 recovery. you told me it took over a month to be able to set up without motion sickness and get out of the bed. and you still have problems with your kidney, acute kidney failure you are struggling with still? actually, yeah. i had some motion sickness, so that every time you will dash it was hard to start my rehab because every time i would set up my blood pressure would drop, i would get dizzy, my heart pressure would elevate and that is all i could do for the first couple of weeks of rehab. the really, just trying to figure out what those issues were. they discovered i had a vestibular problem and they performed the vestibular manoeuvre on me and that really was the start of being able to do some more physical rehab stopped it took a couple of hours to wear our the balance issues i had. then we got to

the point where i was able to stand. it took about 2—3 weeks just to get there since i got here. and when i could stand, i could only stand for 15-20 could stand, i could only stand for 15—20 seconds at a time. i was so exhausted from having been down for so long, between the time i was in the coma and the time i was too dizzy to get up out of bed. it was probably about five weeks. my body was so deconditioned that i — my legs would shake and i would lose my breath very easily. now i'm able to walk about the length of a football field. so that has gotten a lot better. my kidneys have not recovered yet. we' re better. my kidneys have not recovered yet. we're still hopeful, but are talking about converting

from acute to chronic kidney failure here ina from acute to chronic kidney failure here in a couple of weeks if we don't see better results and what that might mean. brendan, i know you will sympathise with dust how hard it is to get back on your feet and get going —— just how hard it is. but the mental scars, i note is difficult sleeping. you get flashbacks, don't you? yeah. and the sand to be getting worse —— and the tend to be getting worse. i'm co nsta ntly wa king tend to be getting worse. i'm constantly waking up as if i'm suffocating, get about 16 hours sleep a week. and not able to get my breath back in bed, which makes me panic. then the other flashbacks are obviously because of how fast it happened. i have flashbacks of not saying goodbye to my kids and my family and telling them i love them, if that was the case, that i wasn't

going to be around anymore. and at one point my life flashing before my eyesin one point my life flashing before my eyes in hospital and nobody acknowledging me and trying to get people's attention stop i could hear my mother and brother and the kids talking to me and ijust — they couldn't hear me and even now it ta kes couldn't hear me and even now it takes me a little bit because i can sympathise with brett. i was a little bit quicker and my recovery and you know, it's unfortunate for brett, he has suffered more than me, but i suppose with the spot he is in he isa but i suppose with the spot he is in he is a tough cookie and i'm sure he will recover quickly and fingers crossed that he does. brendan, i'm sure everyone watching... 0ur crossed that he does. brendan, i'm sure everyone watching... our hearts go out to you and we appreciate you sharing your experience with us. i wa nt to sharing your experience with us. i want to give the last word to brett, because brett, you might be going home tomorrow. that must be so

uppermost in your mind — just getting home again. it truly is. imiss my getting home again. it truly is. i miss my family. i know that they miss me. and i'm ready to a sort of, restart my life. you know, when i woke up in the hospital, there were so woke up in the hospital, there were so many things that were wrong that i wasn't sure what life was ever going to be the same as it was. i'm very excited to get home and try to do the best as we can to get back to where we were and spend some more time together. thank you. brett breslow and brendan sheridan, thank you very much giving us your stories. next, a 24—year—old hospital doctor who is also a national beauty queen.

in fact, the first south asian born miss england. i've been speaking to her in between her nightshift at a hospital in lincolnshire. none of us prepared for this at medical school, covid—19 pandemics and things like that. we prepared for the usual heart attacks and strokes. but it's nice to see that everybody has each other‘s back at this time and is prepared to help each other. i'm not seeing a lot of 1—upmanship and anything like that because everyone is in the same boat. in a way, it is called the great equaliser for that reason, no—one knows any better than any other person about this disease. when you say you have that feeling that everybody has each other‘s back, i know that when you were first announced, when you first became miss england, you experienced something of a racist backlash and i wa nted something of a racist backlash and i wanted to ask you about the attitudes then and perhaps what might be changing? yes, so i always

felt a sense of, you know, imposter syndrome being miss england in a way. i felt great absolutely that i was representing south asians and migrant populations in this country who equally are a part of this country. we've been living here for yea rs country. we've been living here for years and years and generations, but ina way years and years and generations, but in a way there's always been a divide where immigrant families and ethnic minority families, we always keep to ourselves and we don't a lwa ys keep to ourselves and we don't always mix in the way that, i suppose, everybody else does and caucasians do. i felt when suppose, everybody else does and caucasians do. ifelt when i did win that there was a lot of backlash, especially in the media and in the press, where people kept saying the same comment over and over again," she's not english, though. she's not english, though. " buti she's not english, though. she's not english, though. " but i feel a

great pride that under those comments, they are still there, bear in mind, i have some people saying she's a doctor, she is serving on the front lines. you probably know some of the statistics that some of the highest risk populations are the bame populations but yet they make up bame populations but yet they make up sucha bame populations but yet they make up such a large portion of the key worker population. so it makes me feel proud that we are finally able to show people that we are notjust here to steal people's jobs but we are actually here to serve the country and be as, you know, equal in the playing field in terms of being a true british citizen. i feel great that i am holding this title of miss england, and also serving the country, i'm serving england at a time of need. yeah, ifeel the country, i'm serving england at a time of need. yeah, i feel great about that. you were a first, i think, the first miss england of

south asian background, so you going to draw a lot of attention and when you talk about the way the virus discriminates, appears to discriminates, appears to discriminate too, that gets attention? yes. covid's not the only one. there's been many other diseases before covid that have done this, and we just diseases before covid that have done this, and wejust are diseases before covid that have done this, and we just are seeing this more because covid shows a direct relationship and it shows in very quickly. things like diabetes, things like heart disease, several diseases that are more common in ethnic minorities and bame populations. we've just ignored ethnic minorities and bame populations. we'vejust ignored it because their chronic illnesses, but as we are seeing, actually chronic illnesses are one of the reasons why you might perform poorly with covid—19, but for us on the front lines, doctors and medics, this

isn't too surprising because we do see this in medicine is quite a lot. viruses and many other diseases are just the same — they treat you based on your genetics and your susceptibility to a disease is based on your genetics. of course, if you're from a certain ethnicity, genetics has a massive role in what diseases you have. 0ne diseases you have. one of the positive things you told me, doctor mukherjee, is as far as the patients are concerned, especially if they're infected with covid—19, if they're desperately ill or dying, they become your family, your reaching out to them and you're not just a your reaching out to them and you're notjust a doctor to them. it's been a very humbling experience for me on the front lines, because the hospital i work at in boston, lincolnshire, dominantly... before i went to work there, i'd heard they

have quite conservative populations there, and the hospital actually has some of the most diverse employees in terms of there's lots of african doctors there, lots of indian doctors there, lots of indian doctors there, lots of indian doctors there, lots of pakistani doctors there, lots of pakistani doctors there, lots of pakistani doctors there, but seeing actually covid has actually flipped it all on its head. at this point in time, everybody that's in hospital is alone and at this point of time, a nurse, a doctor, whatever their skin colour, is the only person who is able to take that pain away, is able to hold their hand, is able to stroke their forehead and i myself have done this at odd hours of the night — at 3am i've been the first person to see a patient who's really ina lot person to see a patient who's really in a lot of pain they do want to hold your hand. i do actually think, look at this, this is humanity at its best, you know? when you're

really in pain, you forget about these preconceived notions. you look at the person as another person to hold and get comfort from. i feel privileged and humble to give people that support and comfort stop in bhasha mukherjee, i want to ask you about what comes next for you and patients. we seem to be passed the surge, do things get easier or are there other problems? the surge was a time where the nhs was the most supported. in terms of the government, various charities, they came forward, they acted swiftly, they were right there and even the nhs, the trust, the managerial side of things, they acted quickly to get more support

for the frontliners but now we're past the surge, we're actually to be struggling more. it doesn't sound usualfor struggling more. it doesn't sound usual for that to happen struggling more. it doesn't sound usualfor that to happen but struggling more. it doesn't sound usual for that to happen but that's the case. if you think about it, when covid was happening, we, in a way, stop a lot of the usual services from a hospital because we we re services from a hospital because we were only focusing on the really u nwell were only focusing on the really unwell and the really emergency cases. so there's a massive backlog of everything that we stopped during the surge. now that we're coming past the surge, we are having to return back to normalcy. and some of the resources and some of the staffing and services have been taken away. so this restoration period is actually going to be more difficult to handle, ifeel, than the actual peak. we are already seeing a reflection of this at my hospital. these dresses are high because the rotors are being

changed. the usual doctors are having to work longer hours to compensate for the way things were running beforehand, and now we're seeing more and more patients returning back to work because obviously the government and everybody‘s tired of being in lockdown and now they're seeing the usual pressures in a&e again. certain patients who don't need to be in hospital are coming back again. the population as a whole is may be starting to think that it's over, but it's not over. the hospitals still have active covid patients and it still dangerous for you to go into hospital unless you absolutely have to. doctor mukherjee, what's the final thing you would like our viewers to take away from what you're saying today, what should be remembered most, do you think? what i would like people to understand from what i'm telling

you is that — that it's time that we start to really introspect, think about the way we've been treating people, not forget what covid taught us. people, not forget what covid taught us. still maintain some of the things that we've learned from it, because if we don't, we are going to because if we don't, we are going to be back to square one. it's still too soon to break lockdown rules. people are already having parties at home and stuff. please try to hold on and try to make this time part of your life rather than just a small period that we have to do kind of hold tight and get through it. we have to get normalised and adapt to this. that's what i'd like to say — ta ke this. that's what i'd like to say — take it in your stride. we are all struggling at this time, so let's do it altogether. bhasha mukherjee, miss england 2019 and a hospital

doctor on the front lines. i'm phillipa thomas, thank you for joining me on coronavirus: your stories. hello again. wednesday brought us more sunshine across the country. the highest temperature was again around the greater london area, this time in heathrow, 26 celsius. and a bit further north in suffolk, that's how we ended the day. now over recent days, the warmth that has mainly been concentrated across south—east england has been spreading into wales, southwest england, and for thursday the heat is more widespread across the uk. so most areas will have warmer weather, one exception really, east anglia and south—east england where it is going to get a little bit fresher with temperatures coming down just a few degrees, but still warm. we'll take a look at why. 0n the satellite picture,

we have this cloud working into northern scotland and bring a bit of rain. and a very weak cold front diving southwards across the north sea, that is introducing fresher air to east anglia and southeast england and ultimately will knock the temperatures down by a few degrees. this is how the weather looks at the moment, though. cloudy for northern scotland, still got some rain around at the moment but it will tend to ease over the coming hours. elsewhere it's a largely dry picture, a little bit of low cloud, a lot of mist and fog patch towards coastal areas of lincolnshire. but otherwise, clear spells for most and a fresher feel to the weather across some of these eastern areas of scotland and eastern areas of england as that cooler airworks in. for thursday, most of us will have sunshine from dawn till dusk. any low cloud and mist clearing away very quickly. and the rain also clearing from northern scotland. it should brighten up in the northern isles later in the day. a warmer day for most then. 23 degrees or so in edinburgh.

probably about 23 or 2a for western counties of northern ireland. but cooler in london — instead of around 26 or 27 it has been over recent days, it will be about 22. still warm in the sunshine and more of the same to come on friday. most of us will have sunshine from dawn till dusk again with very little in the way of cloud. highest temperatures always likely across more northern and western areas of the uk. 25 or so in the glasgow area. how's the weekend shaking up? 0ur area of high pressure is still in charge, still keeping these atlantic weather fronts at bay, and that means we've got more of the same. that said, it will turn breezy for some of us but nevertheless, we do have more of that warm sunshine to come. temperatures in glasgow peeking around 2a celsius. enneskillen, 23, 2a through the weekend and further south, we will see temperatures in the mid—20s. some of the warmest weather in cardiff, 27 on saturday. that's your weather.

welcome to bbc news, i'm mike embley. our top stories: the death toll in the united states from the pandemic has now officially passed 100,000. minority groups have been worst affected. we have a special report from the east end of london, and its large south asian community. president trump says he's asked the fbi and department ofjustice to investigate the death of george floyd in police custody in minneapolis. and no luck with the weather for the launch of the first privately—owned spacecraft to the international space station.