The COVID-19 pandemic may be stressing out most people, but it has had a surprising upside for college students: They’re sleeping better. That’s the upshot of a new study that investigated sleep habits of 139 college students before and after Colorado enacted a stay-at-home order to prevent spread of the new coronavirus. “In the end,…  read on >

Anesthesiologists can help save the planet, a new study suggests. Increased use of regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, according to researchers at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Unlike general anesthesia, regional anesthesia doesn’t use volatile halogenated agents, such as…  read on >

If a loved one is dealing with COVID-19 at home, there are several steps you can take to aid in their recovery. First and foremost: Limit your direct exposure to them. Stay 6 feet away whenever you can. “If possible, sleep in different rooms, use different bathrooms, and have your family member isolate him- or…  read on >

Dental offices responded to COVID-19 lockdowns in much the same way as other medical professions, halting routine visits and only providing emergency care to patients in dire need. But now that stay-at-home orders are lifting, many dentists are reopening, but with new protocols to limit infection. Your dental appointment will not be the same, with…  read on >

One Chicago jail is linked with nearly 16% of COVID-19 cases in the city and in Illinois, a new study finds. The researchers said their findings show that U.S. arrest and jailing practices pose a major public health risk during the pandemic and need to change, especially during anti-racism protests across the country. The study…  read on >

A large cloud of virus-laden droplets can be released high into the air when you flush a toilet — and it can hang around long enough to be inhaled by others, a new study says. The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can be found in the feces of infected people, and this finding suggests it…  read on >

About 1 in 5 people worldwide has a least one underlying health condition that puts them at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness, researchers say. While the analysis of data from 188 countries suggests that 22% of the world’s population, or 1.7 billion people, might need additional protective measures, not all people with underlying conditions…  read on >

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) generally fare better when they have a clear routine. Now, a new study suggests that as the coronavirus pandemic turned family schedules upside down, kids’ symptoms often worsened. The researchers surveyed 241 parents in China, found that the majority said their child’s ADHD symptoms had worsened during lockdown…  read on >

A particular mutation in one strain of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus may have helped it infect more human cells and turn it into the dominant strain worldwide, new laboratory research shows. Researchers at Scripps Research in Jupiter, Fla., stressed that their finding doesn’t mean the virus is any more lethal. And because this was research…  read on >