COVID-19 vaccination provides far less protection to people with multiple myeloma than to survivors of other types of cancer, new research shows. The findings highlight the need for multiple myeloma patients “to be especially careful — to take social distancing seriously and utilize masking — even if they’ve been vaccinated,” said study senior author Dr.… read on > read on >
A little about: Weekly Sauce
All Sauce from Weekly Sauce:
Online Programs, Phone Apps Can Help Treat Depression
People with depression symptoms might find some help from online programs or smartphone apps — but the human component remains key, a new research review suggests. Not everyone with depression can readily get to face-to-face therapy — whether due to time, distance, money or stigma. But smartphones are nearly universal, and thousands of apps promise… read on > read on >
Omicron Resists Pfizer Vaccine But Causes Less Severe Disease: Study
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 >
AHA News: The Risks and Rewards of Caregiving for Loved Ones With Dementia
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 >
AHA News: Stroke Survivor’s Friend Took All the Right Steps and Found Just the Right Words
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 Says Final Data Shows COVID Pill Stays Strong Against Severe Illness
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 >
Did Pandemic Lockdowns Worsen the Epidemic of Opioid Abuse?
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 >
California Brings Back Indoor Mask Mandate
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 >
Only Half of U.S. Nursing Home Residents Have Received Boosters: CDC
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 >