Compared to previous coronavirus variants, Omicron appears to cause less severe illness, but is more resistant to the Pfizer vaccine, researchers at South Africa’s largest health insurer report. The team at Discovery Health analyzed 211,000 positive coronavirus cases during the country’s fourth wave, including 78,000 attributed to Omicron. It’s the first major private study since… read on > read on >
TUESDAY, Dec. 14, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Every night before bed, Pat and John Sullivan list at least three things for which they are grateful that day. Their 40 years together, each better than the last. The joy they get from art and music. Their ability to keep loving and supporting each other… read on > read on >
TUESDAY, Dec. 14, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — A few days after her 42nd birthday, Elizabeth Hindinger woke up with a searing headache. A doctor gave her a prescription to treat migraines, though she’d not had them before. A couple days later, the headache unabated, Hindinger drove herself to the medical clinic in her… read on > read on >
Pfizer Inc. announced Tuesday that a final analysis shows its experimental antiviral pill Paxlovid sharply reduced hospitalizations and deaths among people at high risk for severe illness. The latest results, which reinforce an earlier analysis released in November, show that Pfizer’s drug cut hospitalizations and deaths by nearly 90 percent when taken within three to… read on > read on >
Pandemic lockdowns may have led fewer Americans to seek pain treatment last year, but folks who did seek help had higher-than-usual odds of receiving dangerous opioid painkillers, a new study says. And that could lead to a worsening of the opioid epidemic, researchers suggest. “It is likely that more patients may have become addicted to… read on > read on >
A statewide indoor mask mandate will be reintroduced in California on Wednesday and last one month, officials in America’s largest state said Monday. “To ensure that we collectively protect the health and well-being of all Californians; keep schools open for in-person instruction; and allow California’s economy to remain open and thrive, the California Department of… read on > read on >
As COVID-19 cases surge nationwide, only about half of fully vaccinated nursing home residents have received a vaccine booster dose, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Research shows that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines may decrease over time, especially among people aged 65 and older, and early studies suggest that boosters are… read on > read on >
Stress about the COVID-19 pandemic may be eclipsing holiday joy for many older Americans, a new poll reveals. About half (47%) of 50- to 80-year-olds polled reported a mixed experience of joy and stress. One in five said they feel a lot of stress, while 38% said they have little to none. Those between 50… read on > read on >
“It’s not rocket science,” “It’s not brain surgery” — but just how smart are rocket scientists and brain surgeons, anyway? There’s a good chance you’re just as intelligent, a new study finds. This was an observational study that does not represent the worldwide range of aerospace engineers and neurosurgeons, the British researchers said. But the… read on > read on >
