Now that federal guidelines have expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to include people over 65 and those of all ages with underlying health conditions, drug stores say they are ready, willing and able to start giving the shots. There’s just one slight glitch: supply. But with two vaccines already available and others moving toward emergency use…  read on >  read on >

A combination of mask use, social distancing and routine testing would eliminate nearly all COVID-19 infections on U.S. college campuses, a new study claims. Using a computer model that simulated a semester of a mid-sized college (5,000 students and 1,000 faculty), researchers assessed the effectiveness and cost of 24 combinations of four common preventive strategies:…  read on >  read on >

The United States has far fewer flu cases than normal, and experts say it’s probably due to measures people are taking to protect themselves from COVID-19. Flu season usually peaks between December and February. Influenza typically causes about 45 million illnesses, 810,000 hospitalizations and 61,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the…  read on >  read on >

After SARS-CoV-2 exposure, a 14-day quarantine is standard among university athletes. But shorter quarantines for these athletes, along with mid-quarantine testing, may improve their compliance without increasing the risk that they’ll infect others, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed data from 620 U.S. college athletes who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 while in quarantine after exposure…  read on >  read on >

Giving low-income women mammograms when they’re hospitalized can boost their breast cancer screening rates, according to a new study. Getting cancer screening tests can be challenging for low-income women due to factors such as a lack of transportation and not being able to take time off work, so researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital examined the…  read on >  read on >

The bad news? COVID-19 may be around for a long, long time. The good news? Even if it does, new research suggests it could very well end up being just another mild illness, bringing with it inconvenience and discomfort, but rarely hospitalization or death. Why? The theory is rooted in the epidemiology patterns previously followed…  read on >  read on >

Folks who’ve gotten through a COVID-19 infection might naturally question whether they need to get a coronavirus vaccination when their turn comes. Experts say they really need the shot anyway, because even after having COVID they might be vulnerable to reinfection. “We’re encouraging people if they meet the other criteria to get immunized because we…  read on >  read on >

Mindfulness is all the rage when it comes to boosting mental health, but new research suggests that it may not help everyone equally. Practicing mindfulness meditation — which involves paying close attention to what you are feeling in the moment — may be better than doing nothing at all to improve anxiety, depression or lower…  read on >  read on >