COVID-19 does not pose a threat to the safety of the United States’ blood supply under existing donor screening guidelines, researchers report. For the study, the investigators reviewed the results of tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in nearly 18,000 pools of donated blood, representative of over 257,800 single blood donations that were collected between… read on > read on >
COVID survivors can relax when it comes to vaccination: A new study shows that getting immunized will not worsen any symptoms that linger long after infection, such as breathing difficulties, fatigue and insomnia. The encouraging takeaway is based on a small analysis that looked at how 44 “long-haul” British COVID patients fared after being inoculated… read on > read on >
Breathing in tiny particles of air pollution over a long period of time may put your sense of smell at risk, a new study suggests. Researchers found the risk for loss of smell — a condition called anosmia — was nearly doubled among people with lengthy exposure to this type of air pollution, known as… read on > read on >
Americans flocked to beaches, parks and stadiums over Memorial Day weekend, as new coronavirus cases dropped to levels not seen since March 2020. With more than 40% of the country fully vaccinated and the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases falling to about 12,000 per day, Americans showed they were eager to embrace post-pandemic life.… read on > read on >
Most Americans mistakenly believe they can spot fake news, which makes them more vulnerable to the false information, a new study claims. The research included nearly 8,300 people who were asked to evaluate the accuracy of a series of Facebook headlines and then rate their own abilities to identify false news. About 90% of participants… read on > read on >
Many Americans have used telehealth and would turn to it for mental health care, a new online poll shows. Conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) from March 26 to April 5, the poll found that 38% had used telehealth to consult with a health professional, up from 31% last fall. In all, 82% have… read on > read on >
People aren’t born understanding social norms, but kids do have a desire to fit in with the crowd from an early age, according to a new study. Researchers from Duke University in Durham, N.C. found that when 3-year-olds were asked to behave in a certain way and did so, they weren’t conforming just to obey… read on > read on >
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 >
