Following continued reports of a rare but life-threatening clotting condition linked to the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday backed the finding of its advisory panel and recommended that the Pfizer and Moderna shots be the preferred choices for Americans. “Today’s updated recommendation emphasizes CDC’s commitment… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
U.S. Army COVID-19 Vaccination Rate Nears 98%
Nearly 98% of the U.S. Army’s active duty force had received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose as of Wednesday’s deadline for mandatory vaccination, officials said Thursday. However, more than 3,800 soldiers have refused to get a shot and could start being discharged from the military next month, according to an Army statement. The Army… read on > read on >
Deadly ‘Black Fungus’ Disease Spotted in Americans With COVID-19
It’s a phenomenon first identified in India earlier this year: Patients who have or are recovering from COVID-19 who then contract a sometimes deadly fungal infection known as mucormycosis — also known as “black fungus.” Now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said isolated cases of the disease are hitting COVID patients in… read on > read on >
Unsung Heroes of the Pandemic: Dogs
Coping with the isolation, fear and sadness of the pandemic may have been a little easier if you had a trusting and loving dog by your side. But you don’t need to tell that to Francois Martin, a researcher who studies the bonds between animals and humans. His two Great Danes helped him through the… read on > read on >
Pandemic Saw Big Declines in Kids’ Use of Drugs, Alcohol, Vaping
There may be a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, with U.S. health officials reporting an “unprecedented” decline in teens’ use of alcohol, marijuana, other illegal drugs and vaping. “We have never seen such dramatic decreases in drug use among teens in just a one-year period,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. National… read on > read on >
CDC Vaccine Panel to Again Weigh Safety of J&J COVID Shot
Following continued reports of a rare but life-threatening clotting condition linked to the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, a federal advisory panel will meet Thursday to once again weigh the safety of the shot. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which makes vaccine recommendations to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is… read on > read on >
Junk Food Ads Reaching Kids Through Livestream Gaming Platforms
Children and teens who use livestreaming gaming platforms may be bombarded with influencer-endorsed ads for energy drinks, junk food and alcohol, new research shows. “This type of marketing can normalize high-fat, high-sugar and high-sodium foods at a time in young viewers’ lives when they’re developing eating habits that are going to follow them into adulthood,”… read on > read on >
Global Rate of Stroke Cases, Deaths Still Too High
While strokes and related deaths have declined in rich nations, they remain stubbornly high worldwide, a new study says. Author Liyuan Han attributed the overall decreases to “better medical services in high-income countries, which may offer earlier detection of stroke risk factors and better control” of them. “But even in these countries, the total number… read on > read on >
Drug Combo May Fight a Tough Form of Breast Cancer
An experimental drug, added to chemotherapy, may benefit women with an aggressive form of breast cancer, suggests an early study offering much-needed good news. The study involved women with “triple-negative” breast cancer, which accounts for about 15% to 20% of breast cancers among U.S. women. It is so called because the cancers lack receptors for… read on > read on >
Too Many Fertility Specialists Still Use a Painful, Useless Procedure: Study
Couples struggling to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization (IVF) sometimes are offered an often-painful procedure known as “scratching the womb” as a desperate last hope to get pregnant. As many as one-third of IVF clinics offer the practice in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, a new survey reports. It’s very likely… read on > read on >