Thousands of elective and semi-elective surgeries — including heart and chest operations — are on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. If your heart or chest surgery has been postponed, Dr. Robbin Cohen and Dr. Elizabeth David of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons offer some advice. “We especially don’t want to turn postponed elective or… read on >
A simple blood test for dozens of cancers is in the works. Researchers say their test can detect more than 50 kinds of cancer at early stages and pinpoint their location in the body. “If these findings are validated, it will be feasible to consider how this test might be incorporated into a broader cancer… read on >
Folks with clogged arteries do as well with medication and lifestyle changes as they do after undergoing invasive procedures to reopen their blood vessels, a major new clinical trial reports. Bypass surgery, balloon angioplasty and stenting are no better than drugs, eating right and exercising at reducing the risk of heart attack and death in… read on >
(HealthDay News) — As U.S. coronavirus cases surged past 163,000 on Tuesday, Americans were told they may soon get a look at the statistical disease models that public officials have been using to urge more than 250 million people to stay at home. The U.S. coronavirus death toll also edged past 3,000, close to surpassing… read on >
Once infected with the new coronavirus, a 20-something has about a 1% chance of illness so severe it requires hospitalization, and that risk rises to more than 8% for people in their 50s and to nearly 19% for people over 80, a comprehensive new analysis finds. On the other hand, the death rate from COVID-19… read on >
As hospitals give more and more COVID-19 patients albuterol to help them breathe, people with asthma may have a hard time getting an inhaler. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) said some areas of the United States are experiencing shortages of albuterol inhalers, and the shortage may spread. But Dr. Michael Blaiss,… read on >
Dentists, hygienists and other dental professionals are at high risk for work-related exposure to coronavirus, but they can take steps to protect themselves. “We have really good ways to prescreen patients: by taking their temperature, asking them questions regarding travel in the last two weeks, asking how they’re feeling and if they have flu-like symptoms,”… read on >
Stressed-out parents should reach out to others for support during the coronavirus pandemic, child health experts say. As the number of coronavirus cases rise and families spend long periods in isolation, parents face unique financial and emotional stresses. Research shows that family stress puts kids at increased risk of abuse, according to the American Academy… read on >
Genetic mutations that put some younger people at high risk for severe illness from the new coronavirus will be investigated in an international study. Plans call for enrolling 500 patients worldwide who are under age 50, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to an intensive care unit, and have no underlying health problems such… read on >
Could a blood pressure or diabetes medicine make COVID-19 more severe? A proposed new theory says the coronavirus could be binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in the lower respiratory tracts. Commonly used drugs ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), often used to control heart failure and blood pressure, can increase… read on >
