If you’re making your own face mask to protect against COVID-19, three layers of cotton towel fabric are best, researchers from India report. That recommendation comes after testing how best to block cough droplets moving at different rates, from mild to severe. “Our results show cotton, towel-based fabrics were most effective among the considered fabrics… read on > read on >
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients diagnosed with colon cancer may have a greater risk of dying from cancer or other causes in the next six months to year than colon cancer patients without MS, a Canadian study finds. “These results warrant further investigation to determine what factors may lead to shorter survival times,” said study author… read on > read on >
One out of every 500 U.S. residents has lost their lives to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic last year, statistics show. COVID has killed more than 664,500 people in the United States as of Wednesday, according to tracking data from Johns Hopkins University. That’s out of a total U.S. population of 331.4 million… read on > read on >
During the next few weeks or months, you might find yourself dropping by the doctor’s office or pharmacy to get your annual flu shot along with a dose of COVID vaccine. Unfortunately, you’ll have to get two individual jabs. Though at least two drug companies are working on a combo flu/COVID booster, the single-dose shot… read on > read on >
Getting prior authorizations to see a specialist, dealing with errors on medical bills and even scheduling appointments can be a big hassle. That’s clear to anyone who has spent time on the phone handling issues with insurance companies or doctors’ offices. For some patients, in fact, it’s a hurdle that’s caused them to delay or… read on > read on >
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 15, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — From the start, Norma Cavazos was surrounded by friends and family who were vaccine skeptics: “No one was going to take it, including myself. That was something that we were all adamant about.” As a public health worker for the state of Texas, she was aware… read on > read on >
It’s hard to resist those big, pleading eyes in the pet store window. But buyer beware. Pet store puppies may infect people with a bacteria for which no common antibiotic treatment exists, a new study warns. Campylobacter jejuni (C jejuni) cannot be treated with any common antibiotics and is an increasing public health threat, according… read on > read on >
In Africa, only 4% of people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Leaders had once hoped to have 60% of people living on the continent vaccinated this year. That now appears unlikely. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners said they do hope to provide African countries with 30% of the vaccines the continent… read on > read on >
The heart rates of people sync up when listening to a story, a new study finds. “There’s a lot of literature demonstrating that people synchronize their physiology with each other. But the premise is that somehow you’re interacting and physically present [in] the same place,” said co-author Lucas Parra, a professor of biomedical engineering at… read on > read on >
Older adults who are socially isolated are more likely to experience serious disability or die after a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), new research reveals. “This important research finding sheds light on a crucial health care issue that has become more dire during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. E. Albert Reece, dean of… read on > read on >
