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 >
Two years into the pandemic, coronavirus treatments like monoclonal antibodies and antiviral pills have been approved to treat COVID-19, but it’s hard to keep track of which ones still work, experts say. For example, the monoclonal antibody cocktails are approved for emergency use in treating COVID-19, but some aren’t work against the highly contagious Omicron… read on > read on >
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 >
