The COVID-19 coronavirus appears to promote blood clotting throughout the body, which might help explain why the germ is so much more deadly than other members of its viral family, experts say. Some people severely ill with COVID-19 develop blood clots in their lungs and other major organs, doctors have observed. Doctors suspect these small…  read on >

Doctors are increasingly worried that people are mistaking stay-at-home orders to mean they should avoid emergency medical care — including for serious lung diseases. People with chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and moderate to severe asthma, are among those at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. And medical experts have been urging…  read on >

The lifesaving benefits of strict social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic far outweigh their projected harm to the U.S. economy, a new report claims. “Our benefit-cost analysis shows that the extensive social distancing measures being adopted in the U.S. likely do not constitute an overreaction,” said lead author Linda Thunstrom, an assistant professor of…  read on >

The virus struck swiftly, stoking panic, fear and mistrust as it sickened millions and killed thousands — and now, more than a century later, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic offers lasting lessons for a world in the grip of COVID-19. “The questions they asked then are the questions being asked now,” said Christopher Nichols, an…  read on >

Dr. Tom Moore argued forcefully in favor of the stay-at-home order that has helped limit the spread of COVID-19 cases in Wichita, Kan. Moore appeared before the Sedgwick County Commission on March 24 to testify the order was necessary, and the order went out the very next day. “Literally the very next day, we started…  read on >

Despite increased demand for inhalers in some parts of the United States, Americans with asthma shouldn’t ration their medications during the coronavirus pandemic, the American Lung Association says. Rescue inhalers are in short supply in some areas because hospitals are giving albuterol to COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms to help them breathe, the group explained.…  read on >

Beware of your fridge, pantry and couch during the coronavirus pandemic. Being cooped up at home with easy access to food can lead to overeating. Couple that with routine housekeeping, working from home, homeschooling your kids and tending to loved ones, and it’s a sure-fire recipe for weight gain, experts at the University of Georgia…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines on Thursday that governors can use to re-open their states amid the coronavirus pandemic. The national plan lays out three phases that slowly return life to a “new normal” that continues to use some of the most fundamental aspects of social distancing. “We are not…  read on >