When you’re searching for a misplaced item, it’s helpful to think about its color, size and shape. But Johns Hopkins researchers say traits you can’t see also come into play. The researchers said that volunteers found everyday items in clutter 20% quicker if they subconsciously factored in traits you can’t see, like hardness or softness.… read on >
How you store your tomatoes doesn’t affect the flavor — what really matters is the type of tomato you choose, researchers say. A team from the University of Göttingen in Germany investigated the differences in flavor of ripe, picked tomatoes when stored in the refrigerator (44.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and at room temperature (68 degrees F).… read on >
June is time for people to bond with their pets, the American Heart Association says. Throughout the month, the AHA encourages people to make pets part of their workday as routines shift during the coronavirus pandemic. Although your contact with other people may be limited, your pet can provide some of that missing emotional and… read on >
Among patients in China with COVID-19, researchers found that those with high blood pressure had twice the risk of death from the coronavirus compared with patients who didn’t have high blood pressure. And patients with high blood pressure who were not taking drugs to control it were at even higher risk, the findings showed. However,… read on >
COVID-19 is taking a heavy toll on Americans’ mental health, a new nationwide survey shows. Overall, psychological distress more than tripled between 2018 and this spring — from 4% of U.S. adults in 2018 to 14% in April. Beth McGinty, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said the… read on >
Federal data released Friday offered signs of hope on the economic front, as jobless numbers actually fell — from 14.7 percent in April to 13.3 percent in May. The economy, hit hard by stay-at-home orders and shuttered businesses tied to the coronavirus crisis, ended up adding 2.5 million job in May, as some Americans warily… read on >
An over-the-counter heartburn remedy is showing some potential as a symptom reliever for COVID-19, a small study finds. Famotidine, sold under the brand name Pepcid, appeared to improve symptoms in a group of 10 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, researchers reported online June 4 in the journal Gut. The patients’ self-reported symptoms began to feel better… read on >
In the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, it might be hard to tell if you’ve come down with COVID-19, spring allergies or a cold, which all have some similar symptoms. Fever and dry cough are common symptoms of COVID-19, along with shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, sore throat, diarrhea, fatigue, chills, muscle pain, loss… read on >
There’s been a nearly 60% drop in broken bones among U.S. children during the coronavirus pandemic, but the rate of fractures that occur at home has climbed, a new study finds. The researchers analyzed data on 1,735 youngsters treated for acute fractures at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) between March 15 and April 15,… read on >
For many, work-at-home orders aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unintended side effect: sleep loss. “We’ve seen a significant increase in reports of stress-related insomnia in recent months,” said Julio Fernandez-Mendoza of the Penn State Health Sleep Research and Treatment Center in Hummelstown, Penn. Stress and worry about the pandemic is one… read on >
