Even as efforts to vaccinate Americans gain steam, more evidence has emerged that suggests a coronavirus variant already known to spread faster is also likely to be more deadly. The B.1.1.7 variant, which is thought to have originated in Britain, is already firmly entrenched in America and could soon become the dominant strain, according to… read on > read on >
Owning a handgun increases a person’s risk of firearm-related suicide more than owning a shotgun, a new study finds. Researchers surveyed surviving loved ones of 121 gun owners who had died by suicide, including 93 who died by a firearm and 28 by other means. The survey respondents were asked about the types and numbers… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Feb. 15, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Reducing sodium intake by any amount can lower blood pressure over the long term – and may benefit everyone, including people with normal blood pressure, new research shows. While the link between consuming less-salty foods and lower blood pressure is well established, researchers wanted to understand… read on > read on >
For parents with questions about COVID-19 vaccines and children, Johns Hopkins Medicine experts offer answers. While vaccinations for adults are underway in the United States, clinical trials for the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorized COVID-19 vaccines haven’t yet been completed for children and teens younger than 16. Before that age group can receive a… read on > read on >
The risk of death from COVID-19 is more than triple that from seasonal flu, researchers in Canada say. Their findings are similar to recent studies from the United States and France. The study was published Feb. 10 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. “We can now say definitively that COVID-19 is much more severe than… read on > read on >
Despite their reputation for boosting the powers of your immune system, a new study reports that vitamin C and zinc supplements don’t help COVID-19 patients recover from their illness. Giving one or the other, or a combination of both, to patients didn’t significantly reduce the severity or duration of their COVID-19 symptoms. Zinc is important… read on > read on >
Carbon monoxide poisoning can prove fatal without a warning, because it can’t be seen, smelled or heard. It’s important to be aware of it, especially during winter when you’re indoors and using heat sources to stay cozy. The Nebraska Regional Poison Center has some tips for preventing carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and recognizing symptoms of… read on > read on >
Before you venture onto frozen ponds, lakes and rivers, it’s critical to make sure they’re safe, an expert cautions. “A minimum of four inches of clear, newly formed ice is needed to support one person on foot,” according to Curt Sinclair, a natural resources specialist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “New ice is usually… read on > read on >
It may be safe for many of America’s kids to head back to classrooms, experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday. According to the agency’s new operational guidance, schools can safely reopen if they employ five key “layered mitigation” strategies based on the level of COVID-19 transmission in their… read on > read on >
If you like to take a snooze in the afternoon, your genes may explain your love of daytime naps, researchers say. For their study, investigators analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which contains genetic information from nearly 453,000 people who were asked how often they nap during the day. The genome-wide association study identified 123… read on > read on >
