If your teenagers have been struggling to cope during the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey suggests they are far from alone. Researchers found that 46% of 977 parents of teens said their child has shown signs of a new or worsening mental health condition since the start of the pandemic. More parents of teen girls… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
‘Spring Forward’ This Weekend By Checking Your Home Smoke Alarms
When you turn your clocks forward to Daylight Saving Time this weekend, take a few minutes to make your home safer. Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggests. Unless these devices have sealed 10-year batteries, they require fresh batteries every year. It’s also… read on > read on >
Backyard Chicken Coops Pose Threat of ‘Viral Spillover’ to People
Raising chickens in your backyard — a popular trend during the COVID-19 pandemic — holds risks that can come home to roost in an unwelcome way. It’s already well known that poultry can spread the salmonella bacteria to human handlers. But chickens cooped up in backyards could also be breeding grounds for viruses that pose… read on > read on >
One Year Into Pandemic, Biden Promises Vaccines for All U.S. Adults by May 1
During a speech reassuring Americans that the pandemic could be nearing its end in this country, President Joe Biden on Thursday promised that all U.S. adults will be eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by May 1. His remarks came on the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 to be a pandemic. Biden… read on > read on >
Driven by Anti-Vaxxers, Measles Outbreaks Cost Everyone Money
A single measles outbreak cost one U.S. county $3.4 million, a new government study estimates, underscoring the societal burden of inadequate vaccination rates. The outbreak occurred in Clark County, Wash., in early 2019, and ultimately infected 71 people — mostly children younger than 10 who hadn’t received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The county’s low MMR… read on > read on >
‘Alexa, Is My Heartbeat Healthy?’
One in four U.S. households use smart speakers to check the weather, play music and query search engines. But a new technology may soon have folks asking, “Hey Google, how’s my heart?” Researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, have developed a skill for Amazon Alexa and Google Home that allows the devices to check… read on > read on >
Does COVID Harm the Heart? New Study Says Maybe Not
Does COVID-19 help create heart problems, or are people with preexisting heart issues simply more prone to getting the illness? The issue remains unclear, with a new British study finding that people with heart problems appear to have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. “In this research, we’ve discovered that poorer heart structure and function… read on > read on >
How Bad Was COVID in Your State? Governor’s Party Affiliation Was Key
Could whether your governor is a Democrat or a Republican have influenced how many coronavirus cases and deaths your state has seen during the pandemic? Yes, claim researchers who discovered a strong link between the two — by late last summer, the odds of dying from COVID-19 was nearly twice as high in states whose… read on > read on >
‘Birthing Girdle’ Shows Traces of Medieval Women in Labor
In medieval Europe, when childbirth was highly perilous for both mother and child, women and those caring for them used various talismans to try to influence a safe delivery. Not many of those relics have survived, but scientists have been studying one – a parchment “birthing girdle” – using non-invasive sampling and protein analysis. “Although… read on > read on >
Switch to Plant-Based Diet Can Cut Your Odds for Stroke
A healthy, plant-based diet could reduce your risk of stroke by up to 10%, researchers say. This type of diet includes greater amounts of foods like vegetables, whole grains and beans, and fewer less-healthy foods like refined grains or added sugars. “Many studies already show that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can… read on > read on >