People with sickle cell disease are at increased risk for severe complications from COVID-19, an expert says. “Many patients experience a pain crisis, also known as a vaso-occlusive crisis, early in COVID-19 infection before respiratory symptoms develop,” said Dr. Jennie Hart, clinical director of pediatric hematology/oncology at Herman and Walter Samuelson Children’s Hospital at Sinai… read on >
Parents are increasingly interested in whether medical marijuana can help their children with problems like cancer-related pain and nausea — but there’s concern about interactions with their medications and a general lack of research. That’s one of the main takeaways from a new report in Pediatrics detailing one hospital’s approach to medical marijuana. Doctors at… read on >
A tuberculosis vaccine may help reduce the risk of death from COVID-19, researchers suggest. Developing countries have lower-than-expected COVID-19 death rates, and a TB vaccine given in countries with high rates of tuberculosis might play a significant role in reducing COVID-19 death rates, according to authors of a new study. The vaccine, which is routinely… read on >
Hospitals have put in place strict no-visitation rules meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but these precautions have led to another heart-wrenching dilemma. People are dying alone, gasping their last breath without any family or friends there to provide comfort. Now, some experts are arguing this shouldn’t be the case, and that hospitals need… read on >
New U.S. coronavirus cases surged across 37 states on Sunday, with worsening hotspots in the South and West also fueling new daily records for COVID-19 deaths. Florida recorded more than 15,000 new infections on Sunday, breaking the daily record for new cases once held by New York back at the beginning of the pandemic, The… read on >
Parks can be good for your health, but fear of crime stops some people from using them, a new study finds. Previous research has shown that urban green spaces can lower stress levels, weight and heart disease risk, and that living near a park is linked to fewer days of anxiety and depression. This new… read on >
When you’re outside this summer, be sure to protect yourself from the sun, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and nearly 20 Americans die every day from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Along with using sunscreen and seeking shade, wearing protective… read on >
A nontoxic antiseptic developed in the former Soviet Union may be a valuable weapon for fighting common infections, British researchers say. The drug, miramistin, was developed for the Soviet Space Program. While little known in the West, it blocks or kills flu, human papillomaviruses (HPV), coronaviruses, adenoviruses and HIV, according to University of Manchester scientists.… read on >
Kids should be able to safely return to reopened schools this fall, resuming their studies with little risk that they will contribute to the COVID-19 pandemic, some infectious disease experts argue. The scientific evidence so far indicates that children do not tend to spread the novel coronavirus between themselves, nor do they appear to regularly… read on >
States across America reported nearly 60,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, setting yet another daily record as the pandemic tightens its grip on a country struggling to reopen. The surge has been largely fueled by states in the South and the West that eased their lockdowns early, The New York Times reported. Single-day case records… read on >
