COVID-19 patients with no symptoms are as likely as those with symptoms to contaminate many surfaces in their rooms, researchers report. The investigators sampled the surfaces and air of six negative pressure non-intensive care unit rooms with 13 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients — two of whom had no symptoms — who had returned from overseas and… read on >
With opioid addiction soaring in the United States, it should come as good news that an opioid painkiller may not be needed after a sports-injury repair. A mix of non-addictive medicines may be safer and equally successful in managing pain after shoulder or knee surgery, a study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit indicates. Concerned… read on >
WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2020 (American Heart Association News) — With the arrival of warm weather, and as states begin to loosen months of lockdown restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic, it’s only natural that people are itching to get outside. But what summer activities are safe during a pandemic? And with many air-conditioned movie theaters, libraries,… read on >
Smoking, drinking too much and divorce are among the social and behavioral factors most strongly linked to dying early, a new study says. Researchers analyzed data from more than 13,600 U.S. adults between 1992 and 2008, and examined 57 social and behavioral factors among those who died between 2008 and 2014. The 10 factors most… read on >
In findings that could pave the way to a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease, scientists have figured out how to spur the production of new brain cells in mice. The advance centers on a protein found in various cells in mice and humans. Researchers found that blocking it in the mouse brain caused certain “support… read on >
Americans continue to look to the medicine cabinet for pain relief, with 1 in 10 using some type of prescription painkiller, a new U.S. government report says. But use of prescription opioid painkillers leveled off from 2015 to 2018, while prescriptions for nonopioid pain meds rose, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for… read on >
There’s new evidence that a 2,000-year-old medicine might offer hope against a modern scourge: COVID-19. The medication, called colchicine, is an anti-inflammatory taken as a pill. It’s long been prescribed for gout, a form of arthritis, and its history goes back centuries. The drug was first sourced from the autumn crocus flower. Doctors also sometimes… read on >
Summer camps are an annual ritual for millions of children, but one expert offers advice on how to determine whether it’s safe to send your kids to one during the coronavirus pandemic. First, your children need to understand the importance of regular hand-washing, according to Dr. Cynthia Roldan, medical director, from Carroll Hospital’s pediatrics department,… read on >
Restarting professional sports with fans in attendance may not be a good idea as it may increase COVID-19 deaths, a new flu study suggests. Cities with pro teams appear to have more flu deaths than cities without them, which may be important as the NBA, NFL and other leagues consider playing games while the coronavirus… read on >
Blood plasma transfusions from people who have developed antibodies to the new coronavirus appear to be safe for many COVID-19 patients, a large study suggests. The experimental treatment — called convalescent plasma therapy — is popular because no drug has been approved specifically to treat coronavirus infection. A week after 20,000 COVID-19 patients deemed at… read on >
