TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 (Healthday News) — In a sobering illustration of the toll the coronavirus pandemic took this summer, tallies now show the number of Americans who have died of COVID-19 jumped from just under 100,000 to over 186,000 between Memorial Day and Labor Day, while cases more than quadrupled, to over 6.2 million.… read on >
The new coronavirus and antibodies that fight it can be in children’s bodies at the same time, surprised researchers have found. “With most viruses, when you start to detect antibodies, you won’t detect the virus anymore. But with COVID-19, we’re seeing both,” said Dr. Burak Bahar, director of laboratory informatics at Children’s National Hospital in… read on >
New hepatitis C medications are allowing people to receive a kidney transplant from a deceased donor who had the liver disease — a strategy aimed at getting more lifesaving organs to patients languishing on waitlists. Two new studies are highlighting the promise of the approach, showing that if patients are given the drug Mavyret, they… read on >
Social media has been rife with fake health products and financial scams during the coronavirus pandemic, a new study finds. Thousands of posts have touted illegal or unapproved testing kits, untested treatments and purported but counterfeit cures, according to researchers who analyzed posts on Twitter and Instagram. “From March to May 2020, we have identified… read on >
FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 (Healthday News) — The chief adviser for the White House vaccine program said Thursday it was “extremely unlikely, but not impossible” that a vaccine could be available by the end of October. Speaking with National Public Radio, Dr. Moncef Slaoui said that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance… read on >
New research may have people with asthma breathing a little easier: Doctors found the airway disease doesn’t raise the risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19. The researchers also noted that people with asthma weren’t more likely than people without it to need a ventilator to help them breathe. “A lot of people with asthma… read on >
People with lupus aren’t at increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 due to steroidal medications they take to reduce immune system activity, a new study finds. And a related study found that people with inflammatory forms of arthritis — such as rheumatoid arthritis — aren’t more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people without… read on >
Even light smokers are much more likely to die of lung disease or lung cancer than nonsmokers, a new study warns. “Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, but it’s easy to assume that if you only smoke a little, the risks won’t be too high,” said study co-leader Pallavi Balte, of Columbia University… read on >
THURSDAY, Sept. 3, 2020 (Healthday News) — Colleges across America struggled to control coronavirus outbreaks on campus, even as Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Wednesday that sending students home after an outbreak is “the worst thing you could do.” Universities continue to be hit with alarming infection rates, and many have already switched to online… read on >
There’s more bad news about electronic cigarettes: Researchers have identified previously unknown toxins that can affect the heart and lungs of those who vape. The chemicals form when manufacturers combine flavorings with solvents in e-cigarettes, according to the study. These chemicals can irritate the airways and trigger reactions that result in breathing, heart and blood… read on >
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