In a health emergency, social media giants like Facebook can be both quagmires of misinformation and sources of social support and reliable guidance, a small, new study suggests. Researchers surveyed 32 Facebook users weekly for eight weeks. All were asked about their online experiences during March and April 2020, when COVID-triggered lockdowns unfolded. The Facebook… read on > read on >
The United States has now surpassed 700,000 coronavirus deaths, as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to hold the country in its grip. America continues to have more COVID-19 deaths than any other the country in the world, followed by Brazil with more than 597,000 deaths, and India with more than 448,000 deaths, according to… read on > read on >
Black kids and Hispanic kids with cancer fare worse than their white counterparts, a large, nationwide study finds. “This study suggests that improving health insurance coverage and access to care for children, especially those with low [socioeconomic status], may reduce racial/ethnic survival disparities,” Jingxuan Zhao, an associate scientist at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta,… read on > read on >
Colon cancer numbers dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean fewer people have the disease. In Spain, researchers discovered a more than 40% decline in colon cancer diagnoses, leading experts to worry about the ramifications. “These are very worrying findings indeed — cases of colorectal cancer undoubtedly went undiagnosed during the pandemic.… read on > read on >
MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) – There has been a significant increase in COVID-related deaths in nursing homes as the highly contagious Delta spreads across the country, a new analysis shows. “While the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths happened outside of nursing homes in July and August, the high rate of increase within nursing… read on > read on >
Although the focus is on the COVID-19 vaccine, don’t forget to also get your flu shot — it’s important, an expert says. “In the United States, it is recommended that everyone over the age of 6 months be vaccinated against the flu, and there are many vaccines available that will fit your need based on… read on > read on >
One-quarter of U.S. parents report that their child has had to quarantine because of possible COVID-19 exposure since school started, a new poll finds. The nationally representative survey of 1,519 people conducted between Sept. 13 and Sept. 22 included 414 people who identified themselves as parents of children aged 17 and younger. Still, about two-thirds… read on > read on >
Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. said Friday that it will seek federal approval for emergency use of its new antiviral pill molnupiravir, after a clinical trial showed the drug halved the risk of hospitalization or death when given to high-risk people shortly after infection with COVID-19. The new medication is just one of several antiviral… read on > read on >
It turns out that the pandemic has reaped one unexpected benefit: As teens were kept home more often, their use of electronic cigarettes dropped by nearly 40%, a new report finds. U.S. health officials said these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, but the decrease in vaping in 2021 is probably real… read on > read on >
Trying to slim down? Diet drinks aren’t likely to help, researchers warn. And those containing the artificial sweetener sucralose may even increase food cravings and appetite in women and people who are obese, according to a University of Southern California study. “There is controversy surrounding the use of artificial sweeteners because a lot of people… read on >
