People’s political views do affect their opinions about COVID-19 policies, a new study confirms, but researchers also found that advice from trusted experts can override those political biases. “These findings underscore how important it is to have communications come from scientific sources that are not seen as political and to keep prominent politicians out of… read on > read on >
U.S. insurers are paying millions of dollars a year to cover the cost of ivermectin for COVID-19 patients despite a lack of proof the anti-parasitic drug is effective against the virus, a new study finds. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization say ivermectin pills — typically used to treat… read on > read on >
You’ve gotten vaccinated. You’ve gotten boosted. You wear your mask, maintain social distancing, wash your hands — you do everything you’ve been asked to do to protect yourself and others. And you are completely fed up. If that description sounds like you, you might be part of a contingent of people who consider themselves “vaxxed… read on > read on >
The latest shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Rwanda this weekend signaled a noteworthy achievement: The COVAX program, a United Nations-backed program providing poorer countries with vaccines, has now shipped one billion of the doses to combat the coronavirus in 144 countries. But still, that “is only a reminder of the work that remains,”… read on > read on >
Power outages are becoming more frequent in the United States, and a new study highlights one consequence of prolonged blackouts: carbon monoxide poisonings. Looking at major U.S. power outages between 2007 and 2018, researchers found that carbon monoxide poisonings spiked during those disruptions, versus the days immediately before. The pattern is not surprising, said lead… read on > read on >
Residents of nursing homes have been a particularly at-risk group throughout the pandemic, and the advent of the fast-spreading Omicron variant has them facing another wave of infections and deaths, new data shows. During the week ending Jan. 9, U.S. nursing homes reported more than 32,000 COVID-19 cases and 645 deaths among its residents, according… read on > read on >
Flu vaccines protect children against serious illness, even when the vaccine doesn’t match the circulating flu virus, according to a new study that reinforces the importance of flu shots. Flu viruses are constantly changing, and the effectiveness of flu vaccines can be influenced by the similarity between the viruses used in vaccine production and the… read on > read on >
Quitting smoking is a daunting challenge for anyone, but a new international study suggests that women may struggle more than men to kick the habit. Women were less likely than men to be successful on their first day of trying to quit, a critical predictor of long-term success, researchers found, although the team also discovered… read on > read on >
Parents struggling with infant feeding issues may have another reason to persevere: New research ties feeding problems with an increased risk of developmental delays. For the study, the mothers of nearly 3,600 children were surveyed about feeding problems at 18, 24 and 30 months of age, such as gagging, crying during meals or pushing food… read on > read on >
Think you’re safe from lung cancer because you’ve never smoked? Think again. While cigarette smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, it’s possible to get the disease without ever lighting up. “Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer,” said Dr. Missak Haigentz Jr., chief of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology at Rutgers… read on > read on >
