COVID-19 vaccines have prevented at least 279,000 deaths and 1.25 million hospitalizations in the United States, but the Delta variant poses a significant threat to that progress, researchers say. “The vaccines have been strikingly successful in reducing the spread of the virus and saving hundreds of thousands of lives in the United States alone,” said… read on > read on >
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced Thursday they would seek approval for a booster COVID-19 shot and begin studies on a reformulated vaccine that targets the highly contagious Delta variant. “We continue to believe that it is likely, based on the totality of the data we have to date, that a third dose may be… read on > read on >
Millions of American adults haven’t seen a dentist in at least a year, a new U.S. government health survey reveals. In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic made dental visits difficult, a third of adults under 65 hadn’t had a dental exam or cleaning in the past 12 months, according to the report from the U.S.… read on > read on >
One of the big issues in prostate cancer care is overdiagnosis — men who are treated for low-risk, slow-growing tumors that might be better left monitored and untreated. Now, research out of Sweden suggests that having patients undergo MRI screening, along with targeted biopsies, could reduce the number of prostate cancer overdiagnoses by half. The… read on > read on >
(HealthDay News) – The air people breathe – and how much pollution is in it – may make a difference in their outcomes when infected with COVID-19, a new study finds. Researchers found that living in more polluted areas — including near sewage water dischargers and in close proximity to heavy traffic — was linked… read on > read on >
A double dose of China’s CoronaVac vaccine is 83.5% effective against symptomatic COVID-19, researchers say. Their phase 3 trial included more than 10,000 people, aged 18 to 59, in Turkey who received either two doses of CoronaVac 14 days apart or an inactive placebo. An immune response analysis of 981 participants who got the vaccine… read on > read on >
Americans’ overall death rate from cancer continues to fall — but rising rates of certain cancers and ongoing racial disparities linger. Those are among the findings of an annual report to the nation from several major cancer organizations. The good news includes an accelerating decline in the overall cancer death rate, among both women and… read on > read on >
Children tend to sleep less as they approach early adolescence, perhaps because of the pressures of homework and the presence of social media. Now, new research suggests that loss of precious slumber is not inevitable. The researchers found that a school-based program in mindfulness training — which involves being present in the moment, deep breathing… read on > read on >
A longer prison sentence has been handed to the founder of a now-closed Massachusetts pharmaceutical facility responsible for the 2012 meningitis outbreak that killed 100 people and sickened hundreds of others. Barry Cadden, who was president and co-owner of the New England Compounding Center (NECC), received a 14-and-a-half year sentence from a federal judge Wednesday.… read on > read on >
Researchers have identified specific brain circuitry that is related to people’s sense of spirituality — and it’s centered in a brain region linked to pain inhibition, altruism and unconditional love. The findings add to research seeking to understand the biological basis for human spirituality. “It is something of a treacherous subject to navigate,” said lead… read on > read on >
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