Thousands of elective and semi-elective surgeries — including heart and chest operations — are on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. If your heart or chest surgery has been postponed, Dr. Robbin Cohen and Dr. Elizabeth David of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons offer some advice. “We especially don’t want to turn postponed elective or… read on >
Artificial intelligence (AI) may be able to identify people who will develop type 2 diabetes, researchers say. For the study, the researchers used machine learning AI to analyze more than 509,000 annual health checkup records of more than 139,000 people in Japan from 2008 to 2018. They included more than 65,000 who did not have… read on >
Once infected with the new coronavirus, a 20-something has about a 1% chance of illness so severe it requires hospitalization, and that risk rises to more than 8% for people in their 50s and to nearly 19% for people over 80, a comprehensive new analysis finds. On the other hand, the death rate from COVID-19… read on >
As hospitals give more and more COVID-19 patients albuterol to help them breathe, people with asthma may have a hard time getting an inhaler. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) said some areas of the United States are experiencing shortages of albuterol inhalers, and the shortage may spread. But Dr. Michael Blaiss,… read on >
Dentists, hygienists and other dental professionals are at high risk for work-related exposure to coronavirus, but they can take steps to protect themselves. “We have really good ways to prescreen patients: by taking their temperature, asking them questions regarding travel in the last two weeks, asking how they’re feeling and if they have flu-like symptoms,”… read on >
(HealthDay News) — As U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise, President Donald Trump on Sunday backed down on plans to re-open the country by Easter instead extending strict social distancing guidelines for the country to April 30. By Monday morning, more than 141,000 COVID-19 cases had been reported nationwide, with almost 2,500 deaths,… read on >
Could a blood pressure or diabetes medicine make COVID-19 more severe? A proposed new theory says the coronavirus could be binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in the lower respiratory tracts. Commonly used drugs ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), often used to control heart failure and blood pressure, can increase… read on >
Genetic mutations that put some younger people at high risk for severe illness from the new coronavirus will be investigated in an international study. Plans call for enrolling 500 patients worldwide who are under age 50, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to an intensive care unit, and have no underlying health problems such… read on >
Stressed-out parents should reach out to others for support during the coronavirus pandemic, child health experts say. As the number of coronavirus cases rise and families spend long periods in isolation, parents face unique financial and emotional stresses. Research shows that family stress puts kids at increased risk of abuse, according to the American Academy… read on >
Less than half of patients with a sports-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) recover within two weeks, new research shows. “This study challenges current perceptions that most people with a sports-related mTBI recover within 10 to 14 days,” said lead author Dr. Stephen Kara, from Axis Sports Medicine in Auckland, New Zealand. He and his… read on >
