The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a surge in new gun owners across the U.S., a new study finds. The data shows that between January 2020 and April 30 of this year, 5.1 million Americans bought their first guns, following 2.4 million who did so in 2019. The numbers are concerning, experts said, because when guns… read on > read on >
President Joe Biden plans to announce his latest battle plan for fighting the formidable Omicron variant on Tuesday, with measures to include distributing 500 million free rapid COVID tests to the public, opening new federal testing sites, sending out hundreds of federal vaccinators, and providing 1,000 military medical personnel to bolster beleaguered hospitals. The measures,… read on > read on >
The first injection drug to prevent HIV infection was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday. “Today’s approval adds an important tool in the effort to end the HIV epidemic by providing the first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a daily pill,” Dr. Debra Birnkrant, director of the… read on > read on >
Cortisone injections have gotten a bad rap in recent years as a treatment for arthritis pain, because steroids are known to damage cartilage and could potentially cause the joint to further deteriorate. But a new study suggests that if used wisely, cortisone shots are as safe as another type of injection used to treat knee… read on > read on >
You might have heard a lot about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its role in cervical cancer, but this sexually transmitted virus can also cause another type of cancer. Rates of oropharyngeal cancer, which occurs in the middle part of the throat, are rising rapidly among older men throughout the United States. They’re also growing… read on > read on >
Far from terrorizing people as they did in “Jaws,” sharks may offer humanity hope in fending off future coronavirus outbreaks, new research suggests. That’s because their immune systems have unique antibody-like proteins called VNARs that can prevent the SARS-COV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 and its variants from infecting human cells, the researchers said. The findings… read on > read on >
If your New Year’s resolution is to keep your allergy and asthma symptoms under control in 2022, it’s best to do so in small steps, an expert says. “The best way to tackle health challenges is in small bits, and that goes for allergy and asthma control,” said Dr. Mark Corbett, president of the American… read on > read on >
There’s a very low risk of heart inflammation after getting the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, according to a new study that adds to previous research supporting the safety of the shots. The two mRNA vaccines had been linked in some studies with an increased risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and myopericarditis… read on > read on >
There is no increased risk of mental health problems in teens and young adults who were conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), Swedish researchers report. Although those born after assisted reproductive techniques did have a slightly higher risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it owed to parental background factors, they said. Since 1978, more than 9 million… read on > read on >
The maker of the pricey new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm (aducanumab) said Monday it will slash the cost of its medication in half, effective Jan. 1, 2022. The move follows widespread criticism of the drug’s original $56,000-a-year price tag. The reduction in the wholesale acquisition cost announced by Biogen means that the annual cost for a… read on > read on >
