Your health and fitness apps may have privacy issues that put your personal information at risk, researchers warn. “This analysis found serious problems with privacy and inconsistent privacy practices in mHealth [mobile health] apps. Clinicians should be aware of these and articulate them to patients when determining the benefits and risks,” lead study author Muhammad…  read on >  read on >

Pool and spa drowning deaths among U.S. children are spiking upwards, and restrictions related to the COVID pandemic may also mean that fewer kids are getting the swimming lessons that might keep them safe, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns. On average, there were about 400 reported pool/spa drowning deaths among children younger than age…  read on >  read on >

People hospitalized for COVID-19 are often discharged in much worse shape than before their illness — underscoring the value of preventing severe cases with vaccination. In a new study, researchers found that during the pandemic’s early months, almost half of COVID-19 patients discharged from their health system had some degree of “functional decline.” That’s a…  read on >  read on >

As you head into the great outdoors this summer, keep safety in mind, an expert says. Drowning is one of summer’s risks. It only takes a few seconds and can happen without an obvious struggle, according to Dr. Seth Hawkins, a wilderness medicine expert and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Health…  read on >  read on >