Seeing their doctors via telehealth instead of in person during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have been as good, and sometimes even better, for pregnant women and new moms. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University reviewed 28 randomized clinical trials and 14 observational studies that included more than 44,000 women. The goal was to…  read on >  read on >

The best booster for COVID vaccinations might not be yet another shot, but a nasal spray, an early study hints. Since early on in the pandemic, some researchers have speculated that the most effective way to fight COVID is through vaccines that not only spur an immune response in the blood, but also in the…  read on >  read on >

Everyone in the United States knows someone — often multiple someones — who have been reinfected with COVID-19. Despite vaccines, boosters and natural immunity, the highly infectious Omicron variant appears capable of getting around whatever protection you might have gained against SARS-CoV-2. Even President Joe Biden – famously vaccinated and fully boosted – announced July…  read on >  read on >

Monkeypox, which has now spread to 75 countries and sickened at least 16,000 people, has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). The declaration came after WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus overruled a panel of advisors that could not come to a consensus on whether the virus had…  read on >  read on >

Inner-city kids are known to be at greater risk for uncontrolled asthma. Now, new research suggests that violent crime and poor school achievement may be two reasons why. “Experiencing violent crime can result in toxic stress, and decreased educational attainment is associated with lower health literacy,” said study author Dr. Jordan Tyris, a hospitalist at…  read on >  read on >

With much of the United States baking in extreme heat this summer, older adults and the people caring for them need to take extra precautions. Seniors can decline rapidly, sometimes within minutes, when exposed to soaring temperatures, said Dr. Angela Catic, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “As we get older,…  read on >  read on >

Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure — and that alone more than doubles their odds of being hospitalized if they are infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, a new study revealed. This was true even in people who were fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, according to researchers at the…  read on >  read on >