Long-term data from northern Italy — an area hit hard during the early days of the pandemic — suggests that reinfection after recovery from COVID-19 infection is very rare, and immunity in former patients could be long-lasting. “Natural immunity to SARS-CoV-2 appears to confer a protective effect for at least a year, which is similar…  read on >  read on >

Think you know all you need to know about slathering on the sunscreen this summer? Maybe you don’t. As the Memorial Day weekend begins, many Americans are confused about the proper application of sunscreen and about its sun protection factor (SPF), the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says. A recent academy poll of 1,000 U.S.…  read on >  read on >

A native South American population that lives a pre-industrial lifestyle may have a slower rate of brain aging than the typical Westerner, a new study finds. The study focused on the Tsimane population, whose roughly 16,000 members dwell in a remote part of the Bolivian Amazon. They live by farming, hunting, gathering and fishing —…  read on >  read on >

Seventy percent of American adults could be vaccinated by this summer, a new poll suggests. The survey results bode well for the country and likely mean that President Joe Biden’s goal of 70 percent vaccine coverage for adults by July 4 will be reached. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest survey found 62 percent of respondents…  read on >  read on >

If more proof of the safety of vaccines is needed, a new study delivers fresh evidence that they carry few harms for children, adults and pregnant women. “This in-depth analysis found no evidence of increased risk of serious adverse events following vaccines, apart from a few — previously known — associations,” said Susanne Hempel, director…  read on >  read on >

Researchers who pinpointed 178 gene variants linked to major depression say their findings could improve diagnosis and treatment of a disorder that affects 1 in 5 people. The study draws on a huge database, analyzing the genetic and health records of 1.2 million people from three databanks in the United States, the U.K. and Finland,…  read on >  read on >

Adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a common mental health condition known as OCD, may have more than triple the risk of having a stroke, according to a new report from Taiwanese researchers. As to why, the study authors aren’t sure. The investigators speculate that other mental health problems suffered by OCD patients — “comorbidities” such as…  read on >  read on >