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 >
Living in a region where tropical storms, hurricanes or other weather emergencies are likely means being ready for a quick evacuation. “Part of preparedness is having a plan,” said Dr. James McDeavitt, executive vice president and dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “You don’t want to make that plan as… read on > read on >
Black residents in U.S. nursing homes are much more likely than white residents to be repeatedly transferred to hospital care, a new study reports. Black nursing home residents are likely to be transferred to the hospital and back at least four times in a given year, according to data gathered under a U.S. Centers for… read on > read on >
Tiny turtles are the cause of a multistate outbreak of salmonella that has led to five hospitalizations, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. The agency has linked an outbreak that has infected at least 15 people in 11 states to turtles that are less than 4 inches long. Most of the… read on > read on >
New York health officials said Thursday that the first U.S. case of polio in nearly a decade has been confirmed in a young unvaccinated adult in Rockland County. “Based on what we know about this case, and polio in general, the [New York] Department of Health strongly recommends that unvaccinated individuals get vaccinated or boosted… read on > read on >
President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House announced Thursday. “This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “He has begun taking Paxlovid. Consistent with CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease… read on > read on >
