Some Americans appear to be moving from areas with frequent hurricanes and heat waves to places threatened by wildfire and rising heat. They’re trading in the risk of one set of natural disasters for another because the wildfires are only beginning to become a national issue, according to researchers. “These findings are concerning, because people…  read on >  read on >

The antiviral Paxlovid has kept people from getting really sick and dying from COVID-19 since it became available — at no cost to them. But by the middle of next year, the U.S. government will stop subsidizing the medication. Instead, it will be billed for like many other medications. While the Biden administration has paid…  read on >  read on >

A facial scar may make a person self-conscious, but it doesn’t change another person’s first impressions of their attractiveness or confidence, a new survey shows. The results found that a single, well-healed facial scar may even increase perceived friendliness, according to the researchers, who had predicted different results and said the findings might be “surprising…  read on >  read on >

Experts are asking seniors to get their flu shots ASAP as an exceptionally nasty flu season unfolds across the United States. Already, 8.7 million flu cases have been reported, with 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the last week alone, the number of flu hospitalizations…  read on >  read on >

People who’ve had a bout of shingles may face a heightened risk of heart attack or stroke in later years, a new, large study suggests. Anyone who ever had chickenpox can develop shingles — a painful rash that is caused by a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. About one-third of Americans will develop…  read on >  read on >