You went jogging and developed a cough. You did some yard work and now you’re wheezing. Maybe your throat is scratchy. Your first thought is: Do I have COVID-19? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has posted a new coronavirus self-checker on its website that might ease your mind and steer you toward… read on >
It takes multiple measures of social distancing to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, a study from Singapore concludes. That finding is based on a computer model of a simulated setting in Singapore. Coronavirus cases are on the rise there, but as of March 23, schools remained open and workplace distancing was only recommended,… read on >
For people very sick with COVID-19, access to a mechanical ventilator can mean life or death. Trouble is, they’re in short supply in the United Sates and around the world. Now, research suggests that a widely used clot-busting stroke drug might help COVID-19 patients who can’t access a ventilator or who fail to improve even… read on >
Many hospitals across the United States regularly operate with most of their beds taken by patients, limiting their ability to handle a sudden influx of folks sick with COVID-19, a new study reports. Only about 1 of every 3 U.S. hospital beds is empty on any given day, according to research from the Urban Institute,… read on >
In a lesson for what can be achieved with social distancing, researchers report that school and workplace closures in Wuhan, China, reduced the number of coronavirus cases there. And officials are extending those measures until April now instead of March, which could hold off a second wave of cases until later this year, the researchers… read on >
With bogus information about the new coronavirus spreading fast online, how can you separate fact from fiction? A communications expert at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg said identifying reliable and useful sources of information is key. Here’s her advice: “Be skeptical of social media posts about the COVID-19 virus, even those that have the superficial look… read on >
In a lesson for what can be achieved with social distancing, researchers report that school and workplace closures in Wuhan, China, reduced the number of coronavirus cases there. And officials are extending those measures until April now instead of March, which could hold off a second wave of cases until later this year, the researchers… read on >
With bogus information about the new coronavirus spreading fast online, how can you separate fact from fiction? A communications expert at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg said identifying reliable and useful sources of information is key. Here’s her advice: “Be skeptical of social media posts about the COVID-19 virus, even those that have the superficial look… read on >
Fostering a shelter animal during the coronavirus pandemic could benefit both of you, an animal welfare group says. “Shelters are swamped in the best of times, and with more and more staff in every sector of American life self-quarantining and falling ill, animals already abandoned and without homes are going to be increasingly vulnerable,” said… read on >
Social distancing has become the new normal, with one-third of Americans now under stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say that level of isolation can be hard on your health. “We don’t know for sure what the long-term health outcomes of widespread forced social isolation will be, but given what we know… read on >
Trying to find hand sanitizer to ward off coronavirus? You’re not alone. Hand sanitizer has been selling out across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic moves into more and more U.S. communities. People have rushed to stores looking for alcohol-based sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol, the type recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease… read on >
Many Americans are choosing — or have been told — to self-quarantine to slow the spread of COVID-19. Doctors at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston break down what that is supposed to look like. Isolation separates sick people from those who are not sick, while quarantine restricts the movement of people… read on >
People often turn to music to boost their mood or relieve stress. And new research suggests there may be science supporting that practice. The study found that listening to 30 minutes of music a day eased chest pain and anxiety in people who had recently had a heart attack. “Based on our findings, we believe… read on >
Cholesterol-lowering statins are commonly used to help prevent heart disease. Now a new study hints that they could shield women’s hearts from the harms of certain breast cancer drugs. The study focused on women in Canada who’d been treated with either chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines or the medication Herceptin. Though the treatments can be lifesaving,… read on >
Using past weather data to predict climate change-linked increases in extreme weather events may underestimate how often they’ll occur, with potentially serious consequences, a Stanford University study says. It found that predictions based solely on historical records underestimated by about half the actual number of extremely hot days in Europe and East Asia, as well… read on >
Considering a knee replacement? Plastic surgery? With a pandemic of new coronavirus cases looming, it’s probably time to postpone elective surgery if you can, a surgeons’ group says. In a statement, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) noted that as cases of severe COVID-19 requiring hospitalization rise, U.S. health care infrastructure and resources could be… read on >
