Swabs that come with at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests should be used in the nose and not the throat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. It issued the warning on Twitter in response to reports that some people are using swabs intended for nasal samples to take samples from their throats and posting their… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Exposure to Common Cold Might Help Shield Against COVID
Vaccination is still the best way to protect someone from COVID-19, but new research suggests that immune system activation of T-cells by common colds may offer some cross-protection. The study might also provide a blueprint for a second-generation, universal vaccine that could prevent infection from current and future variants, the research team said. “Being exposed… read on > read on >
Amid COVID Test Shortages, Price Gouging Is on the Rise
As the Omicron variant blankets America and demand for COVID-19 tests climbs, so, too, does price gouging. High prices for over-the-counter antigen tests are being seen around the country, CBS News reported. “The danger in health care is that for any lifesaving product — it’s vulnerable to price gouging because most people would pay [an]… read on > read on >
New Worry: ‘Flurona,’ When COVID Meets the Flu
It’s a COVID phenomenon that had, until now, gone relatively unnoticed: You can be infected with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. Thanks to the internet, it even has a name — “flurona.” And it will likely happen much more often this particular winter, as the flu season kicks into gear and the… read on > read on >
Quality of Home Health Care Varies Between Urban, Rural Areas
MONDAY, Jan. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) – Need in-home health care? Know this: The quality of your care may depend on where you live. That’s the takeaway from a new study from New York University that gave agencies in urban areas high marks for keeping patients out of the hospital. It found that home health… read on > read on >
You Can Help Prevent Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is the only gynecologic cancer that can be prevented, yet there were more than 4,000 deaths in the United States in 2021 and nearly 14,500 new cases, the American Cancer Society says. The best way to prevent this is to make sure you and your children get their human papillomavirus vaccines, experts noted.… read on > read on >
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Big Business
The Supreme Court began to hear oral arguments on Friday as it weighs whether the Biden administration can enforce vaccine mandates for large companies. The justices are also hearing arguments on a separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers. The court’s decision will likely determine whether these vaccine requirements will affect more than 80… read on > read on >
Breakthrough COVID Cases Overwhelmingly Mild for Vaccinated People: Study
A review of cases from 465 U.S. hospitals underscores the protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines. The new review — by researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health — found that vaccinated adults who got breakthrough infections rarely got severely ill. Respiratory failure, the need for treatment in an intensive care unit, and death were… read on > read on >
Will Reading Books Make You Any Happier?
When it comes to what makes us happy, is reading or listening to music any better than spending hours playing video games? Not really, says a team of researchers from the United Kingdom and Austria. “Many people believe traditional media, like reading books or listening to music, are good for us,” said study leader Niklas… read on > read on >
COVID Vaccine May Temporarily Add 1 Day to Menstrual Cycle: Study
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 may slightly and temporarily extend the time between a woman’s menstrual periods, a new study reports. On average, researchers found that the extra time amounts to slightly less than one day. It’s something many women would not notice and is not cause for worry from a health standpoint, they said. But… read on > read on >