The new coronavirus is mutating in an attempt to elude vaccines and treatments, putting a greater onus on Americans to get vaccinated and use social distancing measures to avoid infection, U.S. health officials said Friday. New COVID-19 variants out of South Africa and Brazil — B.1.351 and P1, respectively — contain a mutation called E484K,… read on > read on >
Could wearing two masks be better than one? The emergence of new and more infectious COVID-19 variants has led health experts to consider “double masking” as a potential way to better protect yourself and those around you. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating whether donning a medical mask underneath a typical… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, Jan. 29, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — New federal dietary guidelines encourage Americans to focus more on eating healthy throughout life, to be flexible in their eating patterns and to cut down on empty calories. The recommendations, released every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and… read on > read on >
Two widely anticipated new COVID-19 vaccines — from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax — appear to halt infections in places where more contagious variants are circulating, new trials show. But there was one key exception: Each loses a significant amount of its protective power when used where the new South African variant is circulating. The… read on > read on >
People who are hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine don’t have to work hard to find internet rumors and theories that will fuel their fears regarding the vaccine’s safety. That’s because anti-vaccine groups and individuals are working overtime to promote frightening, false theories about the two COVID-19 vaccines that have now been administered to more… read on > read on >
Heart surgery can be stressful, but researchers may have found a way to reduce patients’ anxiety and postoperative pain — without any extra side effects. A team from the Netherlands found that the simple act of listening to music around the time of surgery may help patients as they recover. “This is a fascinating question… read on > read on >
A research team studying live streams of high school graduations from last July found that most high schoolers are willing to wear masks. Students just need more education on how to wear them properly, as well as information about the importance of being consistent, researchers said. “The key to preventing the spread of the COVID-19… read on > read on >
Current and former smokers are at risk for a lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis, but many aren’t aware of the threat, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation says. There is no cure for the disease, which affects more than 200,000 Americans. A recent foundation survey found that more than 80% of smokers are unfamiliar with pulmonary fibrosis.… read on > read on >
Americans pay nearly three times more for prescription drugs than people in dozens of other countries, a new study shows. Researchers analyzed 2018 data and found that prescription drug prices in the United States average 2.5 times more than in 32 other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations. The cost of brand-name drugs… read on > read on >
Why does one person take a lot of risks and another proceed with more caution? Researchers came closer to that answer with a new study that shows risk-taking behavior may be related to characteristics in the brain. The study found there is no one risk area in the brain. Instead, there are many regions where… read on > read on >
