Support from family and friends, along with exercise and sufficient sleep, have helped protect teens’ mental health during the pandemic, new research shows. The study also found that teen girls have been more likely than boys to suffer mental distress during the pandemic. For the study, researchers analyzed data gathered from more than 3,000 participants,…  read on >  read on >

If you’re wondering whether to intentionally expose yourself to the Omicron variant with the goal of developing immunity, the answer is absolutely not, experts say. “It sounds like playing with fire to me,” said Dr. Nicole Van Groningen, a hospitalist who has treated hundreds of COVID-19 patients at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. First of all,…  read on >  read on >

When older people cut back on physical activity, their risk of type 2 diabetes rises. But walking regularly can help, a new study suggests. The more steps you take — and the more intensely you walk — the lower your odds for type 2 diabetes, researchers found. To assess the link between walking and diabetes…  read on >  read on >

Cannabidiol, a compound derived from marijuana, appears to show promise in blocking replication of the COVID-19 virus and preventing its spread, lab and animal studies show. CBD inhibited the ability of the coronavirus to spread in human lung cell samples, and also suppressed COVID-19 infection in the lungs and nasal passages of lab mice. Although…  read on >  read on >

Coronavirus testing requirements for vaccinated people arriving in England will be scrapped, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday. Details about the changes are to be provided later in the day by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, the Associated Press reported. To “show that this country is open for business, open for travelers, you will see…  read on >  read on >

While it appears that Black Americans were more hesitant than white Americans to roll up their sleeves when the COVID-19 vaccines launched last year, that unwillingness has lessened. Following 1,200 U.S. adults through much of the pandemic, researchers found Black people were more likely to change their negative thinking about COVID-19 vaccination compared to white…  read on >  read on >

The coronavirus can leave more than 40% of children hospitalized for COVID-19 with headaches and other lingering neurological symptoms, a new study claims. And the kids who developed these headaches or experienced an altered mental status known as acute encephalopathy were more likely to need intensive care, said researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical…  read on >  read on >

A brain implant that helps control severe epilepsy in adults may do the same for children who suffer from unrelenting seizures, new research suggests. The study is one of the first to examine the responsive neurostimulation (RNS) system in children. RNS has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adult patients…  read on >  read on >