Having a child in the hospital is distressing for families, and not knowing what that stay might cost can add to that stress, researchers say. A new study has found that three-quarters of U.S. families want to have conversations about the costs of care. Yet only 7% of families actually have had this financial counseling… read on > read on >
Antibodies from current COVID-19 vaccines don’t bind well to the new variants of the virus, a study finds. Researchers collected data from previously published papers about the sequence of antibodies produced by the vaccines. They focused on antibodies against the spike protein, a part of the virus that binds to receptors on human cells to… read on > read on >
Getting another shot of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine substantially increased its protection, the company announced Tuesday. According to the results of a new clinical trial, two doses of the vaccine boosts immunity to 94% from the 74% offered by a single dose, the company said in a statement. “Our single-shot vaccine generates strong… read on > read on >
Many middle-aged adults with apparently healthy hearts have a “silent” buildup of fatty deposits in their arteries, a large, new study shows. Researchers found that of more than 25,000 50- to 64-year-olds, about 42% had signs of atherosclerosis — a buildup of “plaques” in the arteries that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.… read on > read on >
Infants may show early signs of autism, but a diagnosis usually isn’t made until age 3. Now, a new study suggests that jumpstarting therapy might stave off that diagnosis altogether. Researchers say their preemptive, parent-led intervention could have a significant impact on children’s social development and longer-term disabilities. “What we found is that the babies… read on > read on >
Older children and kids with chronic diseases are those most likely to wind up in the hospital with COVID-19, researchers have found. Conditions such as obesity, diabetes and neurologic problems, among others, put kids at risk for severe COVID-19, according to a new U.S. study. “There’s a myth circulating out there that children don’t get… read on > read on >
As the highly contagious Delta variant has swept across the United States, the country has reached a tragic milestone. COVID-19 has now killed more Americans than the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic did, when roughly 675,000 people died. It didn’t have to be that way. “Big pockets of American society — and worse, their leaders —… read on > read on >
That feeling that many people are collectively experiencing right now? It’s grief. Some may be living through the loss of family, friends or colleagues who have died from the COVID-19 virus. Others have had losses that would be considered major life events, such as a job layoff. Many have lost recreation, social support and relationships.… read on > read on >
Living within a few blocks of a shooting increases the risk that a child will end up visiting the emergency department for mental health-related problems, researchers say. The new study found significant increases in mental health-related ER visits in the two weeks after a neighborhood shooting, especially among kids who lived closest to it and… read on > read on >
Liver cancer is on the rise in rural America, but on a downswing in cities, new research shows. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer and the fastest-growing cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It’s rising at an annual rate of nearly 6% in rural areas, approaching rates seen… read on > read on >
