As 29 U.S. states and territories posted spikes in new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the country’s top health officials prepared to testify before Congress on their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will appear… read on >
Doctors have long noted links between severe COVID-19 and heart trouble, but a new study helps quantify the magnitude of the problem. The study of hundreds of hospitalized patients found that cardiac arrest and heart rhythm disorders are 10 times more common among COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care than among other hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Just… read on >
The World Health Organization recorded the largest single-day worldwide increase in coronavirus cases on Sunday, with Brazil and the United States logging the biggest jumps in infections. More than 183,000 new cases were reported around the globe in the past 24 hours, with Brazil’s daily tally hitting 54,771 and the United States following closely behind… read on >
The U.S. National Institutes of Heath announced Saturday that it was stopping a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine, a drug long supported by President Donald Trump as a possible panacea for COVID-19. “A data and safety monitoring board met late Friday and determined that while there was no harm, the study drug was very unlikely to… read on >
About one in 10 heart surgery patients who is prescribed an opioid painkiller after the procedure still uses the drugs more than 90 days later, a new study finds. And those prescribed the highest doses are most likely to be long-term users of opioids, researchers say. “Our findings support a much-needed shift toward decreasing opioid… read on >
Psoriasis causes painful skin rashes and joints but can also affect the nails, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Most of the nearly 8 million Americans who suffer from psoriasis will develop nail psoriasis at some time. That’s why it’s important to check fingernails and toenails for signs of psoriasis, which may include nail… read on >
Nearly half of U.S. states are seeing upticks in new coronavirus cases, leading some state officials to order the reimposition of mask wearing for citizens. In California on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that people will be required to wear masks in any indoor space, while Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a similar order for… read on >
It often seems the older a person gets, the less they sleep, but new research suggests that inconsistent sleep patterns might predict a future diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers who studied 2,930 older men for more than a decade found that those with a particular sleep problem — called circadian rhythm disruptions — were three… read on >
A mainstay of 18th-century medicine — the lowly leech — has made something of a comeback in the 21st century. That’s largely due to powerful blood thinners the parasitic worm secretes naturally. Now, genetic research could give a major boost to the medical use of leeches, scientists say. An international team sequenced the genome of… read on >
If you’re working from home because of the coronavirus pandemic and expect to keep doing so, you need to be sure your work station is set up properly, an orthopedic specialist says. You also need to take regular breaks to move around, according to Terrence McGee, a physical therapist at Johns Hopkins University School of… read on >
