Moms who had COVID-19 when they gave birth may help stimulate their infant’s burgeoning immunity against the virus by breastfeeding, a small study hints. It’s well known that breast milk contains certain maternal antibodies that can help protect infants from infections as their own immune systems develop. Studies indicate that’s true of SARS-CoV-2, as well:…  read on >  read on >

Large U.S. companies have until Jan. 4, 2022 to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Biden administration said Thursday. Unvaccinated workers must undergo weekly testing under the plan that applies to businesses with 100 or more employees and will cover 84 million private sector workers, the New York Times reported. President Joe…  read on >  read on >

Older folks who eat fish a couple of times a week may be doing their brains a favor. New research suggests that fish, even in moderate amounts, helps stave off vascular disease that may ultimately lead to dementia. “Previous studies, including work from our team in France and others in the U.S., reported protective associations…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Nov. 4, 2021The discovery that up to 80% of white-tailed deer in Iowa may be infected with COVID-19 has scientists worried that the animals could become a reservoir for variants that could come back to haunt humans. In the new study, samples were collected lymph node samples from hundreds of dead deer across the…  read on >  read on >

THURSDAY, Nov. 4, 2021A recall of aromatherapy sprays connected with fatal cases of a rare tropical disease called melioidosis has been expanded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency previously identified four cases of melioidosis — two of them fatal — linked with Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential…  read on >  read on >

A growing number of American adults say they have a physical or mental disability, a new study finds. Of more than 400,000 adults who responded to a 2019 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, 27% reported a disability. That’s a 1% increase since 2016, and represents about 67 million Americans, according to researchers…  read on >  read on >

An experimental gene therapy to boost the effectiveness of the Parkinson’s drug levodopa yielded promising results in mice, researchers report. As the loss of dopamine-releasing neurons advances in late-stage Parkinson’s, levodopa is less able to ease movement problems caused by the disease, which is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. But a Northwestern University…  read on >  read on >