All U.S. students, teachers and staff should wear masks when in school, regardless of their vaccination status, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said Monday. That guidance runs counter to recommendations released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month: Those guidelines said teachers and students who are vaccinated can enter…  read on >  read on >

COVID-19 vaccination rates in Canada have now beaten those in the United States. As of Saturday, more than 49% of eligible people in Canada were fully vaccinated, and 70% had received at least one dose of vaccine, according to figures from the Our World in Data project, The New York Times reported. The rates in…  read on >  read on >

A Chinese researcher has died after catching a rare infectious disease called the Monkey B virus, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention officials say. In March, the 53-year-old veterinarian dissected two dead monkeys as part of his work in a Beijing research institute specializing in nonhuman primate breeding. He developed nausea, vomiting and fever…  read on >  read on >

When you’re hospitalized, you’ll want qualified medical professionals treating you, but does it matter if your doctor is a man or a woman? It might. A new study in Canada found that patients cared for by female physicians had lower in-hospital death rates than those who had male doctors. “Our study overall shows that female…  read on >  read on >

The coronavirus pandemic has left plenty of Americans saddled with medical bills they can’t pay, a new survey reveals. More than 50% of those who were infected with COVID-19 or who lost income due to the pandemic are now struggling with medical debt, according to researchers from The Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit organization that advocates…  read on >  read on >

“Shock” therapy often helps lift severe depression, but fear and stigma can deter patients from getting it. Now a large new study is confirming the treatment’s safety. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), as it’s medically known, has been around for decades. For almost as long, it’s been seen in a bad light — fueled by disturbing media…  read on >  read on >

The causes of a type of excruciating headache known as cluster headaches aren’t clear, but heredity is known to play a role. Now, genetic factors associated with cluster headaches are under investigation as scientists search for more effective treatments. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analyzed blood samples from more than 600 people with…  read on >  read on >