The COVID-19 coronavirus appears to promote blood clotting throughout the body, which might help explain why the germ is so much more deadly than other members of its viral family, experts say. Some people severely ill with COVID-19 develop blood clots in their lungs and other major organs, doctors have observed. Doctors suspect these small… read on >
Doctors are increasingly worried that people are mistaking stay-at-home orders to mean they should avoid emergency medical care — including for serious lung diseases. People with chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema and moderate to severe asthma, are among those at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. And medical experts have been urging… read on >
Almost half of the U.S. population — 150 million people — are exposed to air pollution that puts their health at risk, the American Lung Association says. Climate change is making air pollution worse due to record levels of particle pollution and higher ozone pollution (smog) caused by wildfires. Air pollution poses a threat to… read on >
One of the few bright spots in the COVID-19 pandemic has been the perception that children are mostly spared from its worst effects. But what about kids already at risk of contracting serious infections due to a compromised immune system? Do they have the same protection? “One group we always worry about when it comes… read on >
There’s a lot of confusion about medications and COVID-19, so experts offer some answers. There are no proven drug treatments for the illness caused by the new coronavirus, so doctors sometimes use drugs approved for other conditions to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients. This is called off-label use. One drug being investigated as a possible… read on >
The lifesaving benefits of strict social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic far outweigh their projected harm to the U.S. economy, a new report claims. “Our benefit-cost analysis shows that the extensive social distancing measures being adopted in the U.S. likely do not constitute an overreaction,” said lead author Linda Thunstrom, an assistant professor of… read on >
The virus struck swiftly, stoking panic, fear and mistrust as it sickened millions and killed thousands — and now, more than a century later, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic offers lasting lessons for a world in the grip of COVID-19. “The questions they asked then are the questions being asked now,” said Christopher Nichols, an… read on >
Dr. Tom Moore argued forcefully in favor of the stay-at-home order that has helped limit the spread of COVID-19 cases in Wichita, Kan. Moore appeared before the Sedgwick County Commission on March 24 to testify the order was necessary, and the order went out the very next day. “Literally the very next day, we started… read on >
Eighteen patients with severe COVID-19 treated at a New York City hospital showed the classic signs of a heart attack on their electrocardiograms. But a closer look at each case revealed that more than half of these patients didn’t have a blockage in a major artery, the typical trigger of a heart attack. Thirteen of… read on >
(HealthDay News) — The White House and Congressional leaders said Sunday they were close to agreement on a $470 billion coronavirus package that would pump more money into a small business loan program that has run out of funding. Roughly $100 billion in the latest economic stimulus deal would go toward hospital needs and coronavirus… read on >
