MONDAY, March 3. 2021Despite not knowing how long another jab might provide protection, the Biden administration plans to offer a second COVID booster shot to Americans 50 and older. Optional second boosters of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines could be authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as soon as this week, people familiar… read on > read on >
Advocacy groups are pressing U.S. federal regulators to fast-track approval of an experimental drug treatment for the deadly neurological disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), with a decision expected this week. The push to approve the drug, so far just called AMX0035, is based on partial data from clinical trials and follows the U.S. Food and… read on > read on >
Chasing light shimmers reflected onto a wall. Obsessive licking or chewing. Compulsive barking and whining. Pacing or tail chasing. Nearly one in three pet dogs suffer from these ADHD-like repetitive behaviors — and researchers now suspect that an animal’s home life could be the cause. A study involving thousands of Finnish pet dogs found that… read on > read on >
Certain antiviral drugs used to treat HIV may also guard against COVID-19 infection, a new study suggests. The researchers found that people with HIV who are on antiretroviral treatment (ART) with protease inhibitors may have a lower risk of COVID-19 infection. Protease inhibitors are antiviral drugs that block a critical enzyme (protease) that viruses need… read on > read on >
Been vaccinated? Already had COVID? New research shows that your chances of winding up in the hospital if you get a breakthrough infection are practically nil. In the study, scientists looked at more than 106,000 hospitalized primary care patients, aged 18 and older, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who had tested positive for… read on > read on >
White-tailed deer can shed and transmit the COVID-19 virus for up to five days after they’re infected, according to a study that also identified where the virus develops and replicates in deer. Five days is “a relatively short window of time in which the infected animals are shedding and are able to transmit the virus,”… read on > read on >
Special needs children often require out-of-network care from specialists, which means more out-of-pocket costs and extra stress for families, a new study finds. “In the U.S., the reality is that the more health care needs you have, especially from specialists, the greater chance you will find your needs won’t be met, even if you have… read on > read on >
If you’re pregnant and questioning whether you need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, new research might sway your decision. For mothers-to-be, the coronavirus appears to double the risk of serious pregnancy complications like preterm birth, according to a new California study. “These findings add to the growing evidence that having COVID-19 during pregnancy raises risks… read on > read on >
Knowing the signs of brain injury and when to seek emergency care could save a life, an expert says. “The brain is the body’s command center,” said Dr. Gillian Schmitz, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “One of the smartest ways to protect it is to be able to spot the signs of… read on > read on >
Climate change is prompting longer pollen seasons and higher pollen counts, which spells trouble for people with seasonal allergies, allergists warn. “Allergy seasons have been changing in North America and across the globe, and we see greater changes the further you get from the equator,” explained Dr. Kara Wada, an allergist immunologist at Ohio State’s… read on > read on >
