In an about-face from an original report on what might have caused the COVID-19 pandemic, experts enlisted by the World Health Organization said Thursday that they could not discount the “China lab leak” theory. In contrast, the WHO’s initial assessment in 2021 firmly stated it was “extremely unlikely” that a lab accident may have led…  read on >  read on >

If you’ve survived a painful bout of shingles, at least you won’t have to worry that it might raise your future risk of dementia, new research indicates. Shingles, caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, results in a blistering rash from nerve inflammation, and there has been speculation that the inflammation may boost the…  read on >  read on >

Staying connected to others may help protect your brain as you age, new research reveals. The study showed that social isolation — but not loneliness — can cause changes to certain brain structures and increase the risk of dementia. The findings suggest that social isolation could be used as predictor of dementia risk, the British…  read on >  read on >