Adrian Chiles is quite right (There are two new Covid-fighting drugs I haven’t heard much about – is it because they are unpronounceable?, 21 January). I spent more than 30 years in the NHS dealing with a complex array of drug names. When I left, I said to the hospital’s director of finance, “biological medicines are expensive; biological medicines that end in -mab are very expensive and are unpronounceable”. Medicines like these are one of the reasons why NHS funding needs to be raised by 5% above inflation each year.
Prof Jonathan Cooke
Stockport, Greater Manchester
• We’ve got snowdrops and crocuses emerging in the garden, and daffodils and pink camellias (Letters, 25 January). I made five jars of Seville marmalade at the weekend and yesterday spotted a man in shorts. Spring is well on its way in south Wales.
Beverley Mason
Cardiff
• These letters about marmalade are all very well, but surely making it means that someone has to eat the stuff?
David Humphreys
Arnside, Cumbria
• This week I will be celebrating a second birthday in lockdown. A year ago, I was confined to my son’s flat in China, this year I’m in the UK. Does anyone else share this January honour?
Sandra Shipton
Coventry
• “When you’re stroking your dog, you’re engaging systems that would be activated if the dog was stroking you” (Lost touch: how a year without hugs affects our mental health, 24 January). I’m not sure what those systems are, but in my case it would involve a very great deal of cortisol.
Boyd Wild
West Linton, Scottish Borders
