Even if you don’t have side effects from your COVID-19 vaccine, it’s likely still working to protect you, a reassuring new report shows. Many people who receive the mRNA COVID vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna experience body aches and fatigue that indicate the vaccine is triggering their immune system to recognize and fight the coronavirus.… read on > read on >
Big surprise bills for any colonoscopy done after a positive result from a stool-based screening test will be prevented under new federal rules, a group of U.S. medical organizations say. On Jan. 10, the Biden administration issued guidance requiring private insurers to cover such colonoscopies. The guidance expands on the requirement that plans provide the… read on > read on >
It was slated to debut on Wednesday, but the federal government quietly launched its website for Americans to order free at-home COVID tests one day early. Go to COVIDTests.gov and you can quickly order four tests delivered to your home by the U.S. Postal Service. Only four tests will be given to a single residential… read on > read on >
It’s too soon to determine whether Omicron’s rapid spread will turn a pandemic virus into an endemic disease, America’s top infectious disease expert says. That “would only be the case if we don’t get another variant that eludes the immune response to the prior variant,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said this week during the Davos Agenda,… read on > read on >
If you vape and catch COVID-19, you may feel a whole lot worse than people who come down with the virus but don’t use electronic cigarettes, researchers say. When compared to folks with COVID-19 who didn’t use e-cigarettes, those who did were more likely to report chest pain, chills, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea… read on > read on >
People who believe their bodies and minds will break down with age may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, a recent study suggests. Researchers found that older adults with a dim outlook on aging tended to report more physical health symptoms on days when they were stressed out than on less stressful days. In contrast, people… read on > read on >
As a record number of American kids are being hospitalized with COVID-19, a new study helps clarify which ones are at the highest risk for serious complications. The study tracked over 3,200 children and teenagers who landed in an emergency room with COVID-19 symptoms and tested positive. It found that older kids — between the… read on > read on >
Before getting their first dose of a COVID vaccine, many Americans were nervous about how they would react to the shot, but new research shows that fears of side effects may actually make side effects more likely. To investigate this so-called “nocebo” effect in people receiving COVID-19 vaccines, researchers analyzed data from 12 clinical trials… read on > read on >
Home COVID tests are now available at no cost to most Americans, as part of the Biden administration’s effort to increase testing around the United States. Folks can buy home tests online or in stores and be fully reimbursed by their private insurance, without any copays or deductibles. The White House also plans to distribute… read on > read on >
Despite earlier concerns that at-home COVID-19 tests might be less accurate than PCR tests, new research in U.S. children and teens adds to evidence that the rapid tests are highly accurate. The scientists said the accuracy of the tests — which can be used at home and in schools and provide quick results — is… read on >
