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 >

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 >

U.S. airline companies want an end to mask and COVID testing rules for air travel — and many top infectious disease and public health experts agree with them. The chief executives of the country’s largest airlines asked President Joe Biden in a letter this week to let federal mask mandates at airports and on planes…  read on >  read on >

As if recovering from a heart attack wasn’t hard enough, new research shows many patients may suffer severe thinking declines. Researchers in Poland found that in the six months after a heart attack, 50% of patients experienced some decline in thinking, memory and ability to perform basic tasks. “Assessment of cognitive status isn’t a routine…  read on >  read on >