Back before coronavirus took over the headlines, every week seemed to bring another report about artificial intelligence besting human doctors at everything from diagnosing skin cancer to spotting pneumonia on chest X-rays. But these artificial intelligence (AI) tools — computer programs that get better at performing a task by being “trained” on the right kind… read on >
When you’re searching for a misplaced item, it’s helpful to think about its color, size and shape. But Johns Hopkins researchers say traits you can’t see also come into play. The researchers said that volunteers found everyday items in clutter 20% quicker if they subconsciously factored in traits you can’t see, like hardness or softness.… read on >
Federal data released Friday offered signs of hope on the economic front, as jobless numbers actually fell — from 14.7 percent in April to 13.3 percent in May. The economy, hit hard by stay-at-home orders and shuttered businesses tied to the coronavirus crisis, ended up adding 2.5 million job in May, as some Americans warily… read on >
COVID-19 is taking a heavy toll on Americans’ mental health, a new nationwide survey shows. Overall, psychological distress more than tripled between 2018 and this spring — from 4% of U.S. adults in 2018 to 14% in April. Beth McGinty, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said the… read on >
Among patients in China with COVID-19, researchers found that those with high blood pressure had twice the risk of death from the coronavirus compared with patients who didn’t have high blood pressure. And patients with high blood pressure who were not taking drugs to control it were at even higher risk, the findings showed. However,… read on >
An over-the-counter heartburn remedy is showing some potential as a symptom reliever for COVID-19, a small study finds. Famotidine, sold under the brand name Pepcid, appeared to improve symptoms in a group of 10 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, researchers reported online June 4 in the journal Gut. The patients’ self-reported symptoms began to feel better… read on >
As the U.S. coronavirus case count eclipsed 1.8 million and the death toll passed 107,000 on Thursday, America’s jobless rolls swelled to nearly 43 million. That’s close to one-quarter of the country’s work force. The U.S. Labor Department reported 1.9 million more people filed new unemployment claims last week, a sobering reminder of the economic… read on >
Face masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but some people find them awkward, uncomfortable or downright unbearable to wear. There’s another good option available for people who just can’t get used to strapping on a face mask while out in public, experts say. Plastic face shields offer another means of deterring COVID-19 that some… read on >
For many, work-at-home orders aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unintended side effect: sleep loss. “We’ve seen a significant increase in reports of stress-related insomnia in recent months,” said Julio Fernandez-Mendoza of the Penn State Health Sleep Research and Treatment Center in Hummelstown, Penn. Stress and worry about the pandemic is one… read on >
There’s been a nearly 60% drop in broken bones among U.S. children during the coronavirus pandemic, but the rate of fractures that occur at home has climbed, a new study finds. The researchers analyzed data on 1,735 youngsters treated for acute fractures at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) between March 15 and April 15,… read on >
