Faced with rising COVID-19 case counts, Philadelphia has announced that it will reinstate an indoor mask mandate next week. City officials announced the change on Monday, as COVID-19 cases have climbed across the country due to the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant known as BA.2. Philadelphia has an automatic indoor mask mandate that kicks in whenever… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Study Finds Just One Dose of HPV Vaccine May Be Enough
A single dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides as much protection against cervical cancer as the standard three-dose regimen, a new study finds. “These findings are a game-changer that may substantially reduce the incidence of HPV-attributable cervical cancer, and positions single-dose HPV vaccination as a high-value and high-impact public health intervention that is within… read on > read on >
For Smokers With Heart Trouble, Quitting Equals the Benefit of 3 Meds: Study
Quitting smoking can give heart disease patients nearly five additional years of life without heart problems, according to a new study. “Kicking the habit appears to be as effective as taking three medications for preventing heart attacks and strokes in those with a prior heart attack or procedure to open blocked arteries,” said study author… read on > read on >
Pandemic Is Leaving U.S. With Shortage of Long-Term Health Care Workers
The pandemic has worsened longstanding staffing shortages at U.S. nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Now, a new study shows that high employee turnover rates have yet to improve. Researchers found that after initial workforce losses in the early phase of the pandemic, U.S. hospitals, outpatient centers and other health care settings were getting… read on > read on >
Could COVID Infection After Age 50 Leave You Vulnerable to Shingles?
Catching COVID-19 appears to increase an older person’s risk of developing a case of shingles. Researchers found that people 50 and older who had a COVID infection were 15% more likely to develop shingles, compared to people who were never infected. That risk climbed to 21% in people hospitalized with a severe case of COVID.… read on > read on >
STDs May Be More Common Than Thought Among U.S. High School Kids
Too few sexually active teens are getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a new report by U.S. health officials. In all, just 20% of sexually active high school students said they were tested for an STD — now called sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — in the past year, according to researchers from… read on > read on >
Can AI Predict Cardiac Arrest Better Than a Doctor Can?
A new artificial intelligence approach can predict if and when heart patients might die of sudden cardiac arrest far more accurately than a doctor can, and could improve survival rates, according to its developers. “Sudden cardiac death caused by arrhythmia accounts for as many as 20% of all deaths worldwide and we know little about… read on > read on >
Some Sick Patients Get Cosmetic Surgery to Boost Appearance
Some patients with serious illnesses get cosmetic surgery to look healthier and be more comfortable in social situations or at work, a small study finds. Researchers interviewed 12 patients who had cosmetic surgery at the start or during treatment for conditions such as stroke, advanced melanoma, prostate cancer, advanced cervical or thyroid cancer and Hodgkin’s… read on > read on >
Walking: Your Best Step to a Healthier Heart
When the world gets you down, go for a walk and make your heart happy. Physical activity is one of the best ways to manage stress and boost your mood, while reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity… read on > read on >
Do You Really Need That Nose Job? Selfies Distort Facial Features, Study Shows
With the advent of smartphones came the rise of selfies, shared daily by “like”-seeking millions across social media. But a small new study suggests that, unlike photos taken with regular cameras, smartphone selfies distort facial features in a not-so-flattering way. And those unappealing — if inaccurate — results may be fueling a hankering for plastic… read on > read on >