Keep flossing: A new study finds that gum disease may raise the chances of hospitalization or death if COVID-19 strikes. The reason? Gum disease can be a sign of inflammation throughout the body. “It is well-established that systemic inflammation is not only linked with periodontal disease, but to several other respiratory diseases as well,” explained…  read on >  read on >

Severe frailty significantly increases the risk of death in COVID-19 patients, British researchers say. In their new study, the investigators analyzed data from more than 5,700 COVID-19 patients at 55 hospitals in 12 countries. They found that those who were severely frail were three times more likely to die than those who weren’t frail. That…  read on >  read on >

Peanut allergy is often thought of as a children’s problem, but three out of four Americans with the condition are older than 17, researchers say. Despite this, treatment remains focused on kids, says Dr. Ruchi Gupta, co-author of a new study and a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.…  read on >  read on >

In a grim development for allergy sufferers in North America, a new investigation warns that pollen seasons are getting longer and worse. Over the last three decades, the annual pollen season has expanded by nearly three weeks, accompanied by a 21% jump in pollen concentrations. A big underlying cause: climate change. “It is clear that…  read on >  read on >