News: Health

Latest News

Fauci says pushback against
Fauci says pushback against 'easy-to-understand' COVID-19 protection measures like mask-wearing and vaccination is 'very disturbing'

At a World Economic Forum event Monday, Dr. Fauci said of COVID-19: "If we all pulled together as a society, we would be much, much better off."

France bans unvaccinated people from most public venues: Latest COVID-19 updates
France bans unvaccinated people from most public venues: Latest COVID-19 updates

France passed a law Sunday that will exclude unvaccinated people from all restaurants, sports arenas, and other venues. Latest COVID-19 updates

The CDC
The CDC's New Challenge? Grappling With Imperfect Science.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was long revered for its methodical and meticulous scientific approach. Agencies in other nations modeled themselves after the world's most highly regarded public health authority, even adopting the name. At the outset of the pandemic, the CDC moved at its accustomed pace. But this time, with a novel virus moving so quickly, the country paid a price: Testing and surveillance lagged as the agency tried to implement dated approaches with creaky infras

Amy
Amy's Kitchen says its food is made with 'love.' Some workers tell a different story.

Some workers at the Amy's Kitchen factory in Santa Rosa, California, say that workers are becoming injured in an effort to maintain the speed of production lines.

Study of health woes in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria shows effects of climate change
Study of health woes in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria shows effects of climate change

Experts say the study's findings are an example of long-term health impacts of climate change on people of color.

Cost of masks and tests deepens a pandemic wedge between the haves and the have-nots
Cost of masks and tests deepens a pandemic wedge between the haves and the have-nots

In recent weeks, Americans have discovered that the financial costs of the pandemic - masks, rapid tests and more - are increasingly falling on their shoulders.

The world
The world's 10 richest men have made so much money during the pandemic that a one-time 99% tax on their gains could pay for all COVID-19 vaccine production and more: Oxfam

Oxfam calculated that the wealth of the world's 10 richest men grew by $15,000 a second - $1.3 billion a day - from March 2020 to November 2021.

India
India's main cities record sharp fall in COVID-19 infections

India's capital Delhi and financial hub Mumbai have reported a big fall in COVID-19 infections in the past two days and most of those who contracted the virus have recovered at home, authorities said on Monday. Mumbai's daily new infections fell below 10,000 on Sunday for the first time since early this month, after touching an all-time high of 20,971 on Jan. 7. It reported 7,895 infections late on Sunday, Mumbai's municipal corporation said.

Long COVID may be causing 1.6 million Americans to miss work amid the labor shortage
Long COVID may be causing 1.6 million Americans to miss work amid the labor shortage

Workers suffering from long COVID could account for 15% of the US labor market's unfilled jobs, according to the Brookings Institute.

Body temperature may not really gauge covid-19
Body temperature may not really gauge covid-19

I went to get a coronavirus test after Thanksgiving, and the nurse took my temperature - 97.7 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not unusual for me, even though it was lower than what we think of as normal. Normal body temperature is one health-related number that most everybody knows - 98.6 degrees. It's even easier in Celsius - a flat 37 degrees.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. Despite the exactitude of the widely accepted

How much candy do Americans eat in a whole year?
How much candy do Americans eat in a whole year?

Most candy is basically just a heap of sugar. Atlantide Phototravel/Corbis Documentary via Getty Images Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How much candy do Americans eat in a whole year? - Yvanna C., age 9, Nevada From sweet treats to holiday indulgences, candy plays a big role in American culture, with consumption surging around Valentine's Day, Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

What
What's the difference between sugar, other natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners? A food chemist explains sweet science

Sugar is just one of many flavor enhancers people and companies use to sweeten foods and beverages. Marie LaFauci/Moment via Getty ImagesA quick walk down the drink aisle of any corner store reveals the incredible ingenuity of food scientists in search of sweet flavors. In some drinks you'll find sugar. A diet soda might have an artificial or natural low-calorie sweetener. And found in nearly everything else is high fructose corn syrup, the king of U.S. sweetness. I am a chemist who studies comp

Can a Gay Cruise Keep 4,700 People Safe Amid COVID?
Can a Gay Cruise Keep 4,700 People Safe Amid COVID?

As the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to surge onboard cruise ships, forcing several cruise lines to cancel and postpone voyages, Atlantis Events, a gay and lesbian tour operator, is preparing to launch one of its biggest events Sunday: a 4,700-person Caribbean cruise marking the company's 30th anniversary. Even as the pandemic is raging around the world and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a stark warning telling Americans to avoid travel on cruise ships,

SCOTUS blocking vaccine mandate
SCOTUS blocking vaccine mandate 'a setback for public health': Vivek Murthy

The Supreme Court's decision to block the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test requirement for large private businesses is a "setback for public health," United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday. It was a setback for public health.

COVID deaths and cases are rising again at US nursing homes
COVID deaths and cases are rising again at US nursing homes

COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too, leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted. Nursing homes were the lethal epicenter of the pandemic early on, before the vaccine allowed many of them to reopen to visitors last year. Nursing homes reported a near-record of about 32,000 COVID-19 cases among residents in the week ending Jan. 9, an almost sevenfold increase from a month earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Australia has decided to
Australia has decided to 'let Covid rip.' Is that a good idea?

As 2021 was drawing to a close, many Australians were cautiously optimistic that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic was behind them.

England opens COVID booster jab programme to 16- and 17-year olds
England opens COVID booster jab programme to 16- and 17-year olds

England's health service said it will expand its COVID-19 booster vaccination programme to include 16- and 17-year-olds from Monday. Until now, booster jabs have been limited to 16- and 17-year-olds most at risk from the coronavirus. "More than four in five adults in England have already been boosted, helping to protect them from severe illness," British health minister Sajid Javid said in a statement.

We tried to get free at-home COVID tests on the first day they became available. We were not successful.
We tried to get free at-home COVID tests on the first day they became available. We were not successful.

On January 15, insurance companies began covering tests sold at "preferred" pharmacies, but many of them don't have any tests in stock.

Passengers stuck at sea after Norwegian cancels Caribbean cruise mid voyage due to Covid-19
Passengers stuck at sea after Norwegian cancels Caribbean cruise mid voyage due to Covid-19

Norwegian Cruise Line canceled its Caribbean trip mid voyage due to Covid-19, leaving travelers stuck at sea until the ship returns to New York.

Apple to require employee proof of COVID-19 booster -The Verge
Apple to require employee proof of COVID-19 booster -The Verge

Starting Jan. 24, unvaccinated employees or those who haven't submitted proof of vaccination will need negative COVID-19 tests to enter Apple workplaces, the report said. The Verge said it was not immediately clear if the testing requirement applies to both corporate and retail employees. "Due to waning efficacy of the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as Omicron, a booster shot is now part of staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination to protect against severe disease," the memo read, according to The Verge.

Cases still rising in most states; health insurers now cover at home testing; feds investigate testing centers: COVID-19 updates
Cases still rising in most states; health insurers now cover at home testing; feds investigate testing centers: COVID-19 updates

A wave of cases showed signs of peaking this week, but most states are still reporting rising cases in the past seven days.

Christina Applegate Shares Her 2022 Goal:
Christina Applegate Shares Her 2022 Goal: 'Cure for MS'

Christina Applegate revealed she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis - a disease that affects the central nervous system and does not have a cure - in August 2021

Tennis legend Chris Evert announces ovarian cancer diagnosis:
Tennis legend Chris Evert announces ovarian cancer diagnosis: 'I feel very lucky'

Tennis legend Chris Evert said that she has been diagnosed with state 1 ovarian cancer but still plans to appear on ESPN during coverage of the Australian Open.

'Mild COVID' isn't always mild: Tips for recovering at home

Hoping a hot shower would help, Dr. Michael Henry stood there, freezing. "I couldn't get the water hot enough," said Henry, 65, recalling his first symptom. Being fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 helped keep him out of the hospital, but just because his symptoms weren't bad enough for hospitalization doesn't mean his recovery was a walk in the park -- especially when it's harder to walk.

For Coronavirus Testing, the Nose May Not Always Be Best
For Coronavirus Testing, the Nose May Not Always Be Best

Over the past two years, diagnosing a coronavirus infection has often required probing the nose. Health care workers have inserted slender swabs deep into the recesses of Americans' nasal passages, while at-home test kits have asked us to master the shallow double-nostril twirl. "The traditional approach to diagnosing respiratory infections has been to go after the nose," said Dr. Donald Milton, an expert on respiratory viruses at the University of Maryland. But the rapid spread of the omicron v

How to Find a Quality Mask (and Avoid Counterfeits)
How to Find a Quality Mask (and Avoid Counterfeits)

The fast-spread of the infectious omicron variant has prompted many people to try to upgrade to a higher-quality medical mask. But that's easier said than done. Anyone who has shopped for a mask online or in stores has discovered a dizzying array in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Knowing which mask to pick and making sure it's not a counterfeit requires the sleuthing skills of a forensic investigator. And once you choose one, it's still a gamble; many people discover they've ordered a ma

Woman describes
Woman describes 'cruise from hell' after operator cancels sailings for 'COVID-19 related circumstances' and holds passengers at sea for days

Aimee Focaraccio relayed to USA Today the "extremely unsettling" feeling that set in after being told she would be stuck at sea for days.

Transgender children who get hormone therapy enjoy better mental health, study says
Transgender children who get hormone therapy enjoy better mental health, study says

As states mull laws banning hormone therapy for transgender children, researchers are pointing to the mental health benefits of such care.

Texas scientists
Texas scientists' new Covid-19 vaccine is cheaper, easier to make and patent-free

Dr Maria Bottazzi says their vaccine, called Corbevax, is unique because they do not intend to patent it Drs Peter Hotez and Maria Bottazzi, developers of Corbevax. Photograph: Baylor College of Medicine A new Covid-19 vaccine is being developed by Texas scientists using a decades-old conventional method that will make the production and distribution cheaper and more accessible for countries most affected by the pandemic and where new variants are likely to originate due to low inoculation rates

For some who recently contracted Covid, an unexpected emotion: Relief
For some who recently contracted Covid, an unexpected emotion: Relief

When Daniel Storm found out he had Covid-19, he was shocked. He had been so careful, barely socializing and always wearing a mask whenever he left the house.

Thousands take holy dip in India
Thousands take holy dip in India's Ganges River amid Covid surge

Hundreds of thousands of Hindu worshippers flocked to the banks of the Ganges in India's West Bengal state Friday, braving a surge in Covid-19 infections to

China reports 165 new coronavirus cases for Jan 14 vs 201 a day earlier
China reports 165 new coronavirus cases for Jan 14 vs 201 a day earlier

China reported 165 new confirmed coronavirus cases for Jan. 14, down from 201 a day earlier, its health authority said on Saturday. Of the new infections, 104 were locally transmitted, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, compared with 143 a day earlier. China reported 25 new asymptomatic cases, which it classifies separately from confirmed cases, down from 42 infections a day earlier.

Cold hard math of omicron contagion pushes ICU workers to the brink
Cold hard math of omicron contagion pushes ICU workers to the brink

Even in an area where 9 of 10 people ages 5 and older have received at least one Covid shot, the hard math of the omicron surge is straining hospitals and health care workers.

CDC updates guidance on best masks to protect against COVID-19
CDC updates guidance on best masks to protect against COVID-19

The CDC updated its website to say N95 and KN95 masks offer higher levels of protection than cloth masks, although it stopped short of recommending them for everyone.

Fact check: Comments from PCR test creator lacking context in social media post
Fact check: Comments from PCR test creator lacking context in social media post

A quote from Nobel-winning chemist Kary Mullis about PCR testing was made in the 1990s and is unrelated to COVID-19.

CDC warns loosely woven cloth masks are
CDC warns loosely woven cloth masks are 'least protective' against COVID

"Wearing a highly protective mask or respirator may be most important for certain higher risk situations, or by some people at increased risk for severe disease," the CDC stated. The updated guidance comes after weeks of health experts urging Americans to upgrade their masks in the face of omicron, warning that cloth masks are not effective enough at stopping the highly transmissible variant from spreading. The CDC also argues that higher quality masks can be less comfortable, and if a person takes it off, they are left with no protection.

CDC: Ditch your cloth mask and get a NIOSH-approved N95 for the best protection against Omicron
CDC: Ditch your cloth mask and get a NIOSH-approved N95 for the best protection against Omicron

The CDC says N95s offer the best protection against the virus, but still stresses "any mask is better than no mask."

A possible COVID benefit: Medical face masks make us more attractive, study finds
A possible COVID benefit: Medical face masks make us more attractive, study finds

Medical or surgical face masks, originally a social taboo associated with sickness and disease, may now increase attractiveness, research suggests.

Gilead withdraws use of Zydelig to treat two types of cancer
Gilead withdraws use of Zydelig to treat two types of cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the drug an accelerated approval in 2014 to treat relapsed follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and relapsed small lymphocytic leukemia along with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Gilead said Zydelig will continue to be sold in the U.S. market for treating CLL.

Students don
Students don't want to learn in a 'COVID petri dish.' They're walking out to prove their point.

Students in Boston and Chicago will stage COVID walkouts on Friday, following similar protests in New York City, Seattle, Milwaukee and elsewhere.

COVID-19 is linked to more diabetes diagnoses in kids
COVID-19 is linked to more diabetes diagnoses in kids

"We're seeing so many more kids come in with diabetes," one doctor told CBS News. "And they're more sick."

'She touched MILLIONS': YouTube sensation Adalia Rose, with rare genetic disease, dies at 15

YouTuber Adalia Rose Williams, who was diagnosed with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome as a baby, died at the age of 15.

Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu
Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu

Ripe berries and sugar crystals are both sweet, but one offers much more than just calories. Chris George/PhotoPlus Magazine/Future via Getty ImagesOne of my patients - who had been struggling with obesity, uncontrolled diabetes and the cost of her medications - agreed in June 2019 to adopt a more whole-food plant-based diet. Excited by the challenge, she did a remarkable job. She increased her fresh fruit and vegetable intake, stopped eating candy, cookies and cakes and cut down on foods from a

Insurers, employers start helping more with chronic disease
Insurers, employers start helping more with chronic disease

Vanessa Akinniyi was stuck in denial about diabetes until a care manager from her health insurer coaxed her out. Insurers and employers are taking a renewed interest in programs like these that help people deal with chronic - and potentially expensive - health problems.

Father and toddler daughter grapple with cancer diagnosis at same time
Father and toddler daughter grapple with cancer diagnosis at same time

After son died suddenly of cancer, then their daughter got cancer, a learned they had rare Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Dad has since been diagnosed with brain cancer.

Peak Omicron? Experts wary of calling time on variant wave in Europe
Peak Omicron? Experts wary of calling time on variant wave in Europe

A surge in coronavirus cases caused by the Omicron variant may have peaked in some parts of Europe but medics say the impact will continue to be felt across the region, with hospitals still at risk of facing a rush of admissions. Health experts and politicians warn against complacency, saying it is not yet clear whether their data reflect the full impact of the Christmas and New Year holidays, when families gathered for long periods indoors and the risk of intergenerational spread of the virus may be greater. Also, although vaccination and the lesser severity of the Omicron variant mean hospitalisations are lower than in previous waves of COVID-19 infections, Europe...

National digital vaccine card aims to ease proof of vaccination requirements
National digital vaccine card aims to ease proof of vaccination requirements

SMART Health Card is a digital pass available in more than a dozen states that allows an eligible person to show proof of vaccination easily.

EMA lists rare spinal condition as side effect of AstraZeneca
EMA lists rare spinal condition as side effect of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot

The vaccine has faced several setbacks, including production delays, probes by regulators following rare cases of severe side effects such as blood clots with low platelets, which led to several countries restricting or stopping its use. The European Medicines Agency's safety committee also reiterated its recommendation of a similar warning to be included for Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine.

Could the Epstein-Barr virus, found in 95% of adults, cause multiple sclerosis? Researchers think so.
Could the Epstein-Barr virus, found in 95% of adults, cause multiple sclerosis? Researchers think so.

Researchers think there's a link between the Epstein-Barr virus, in 95% of adults, and multiple sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system.

2 charts show how Omicron symptoms differ from Delta and past coronavirus variants
2 charts show how Omicron symptoms differ from Delta and past coronavirus variants

Vaccinated people with Omicron report more sore throats and runny noses, but fewer instances of fever, cough, and loss of taste or smell.

Top News: Health

© Copyright Daily Magazine