Headed to the beach or park for a little fresh air? Don’t forget your sun protection, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting one in five Americans, but many don’t protect themselves from harmful UV rays. Sixty percent of respondents to an AAD…  read on >

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the United States spend more time in the hospital and are more likely to require intensive care than patients in China, a new study says. The findings suggest that the coronavirus pandemic may be putting greater strain on U.S. hospitals than previously assumed, according to researchers. “The hospital resources needed to…  read on >

Women who had COVID-19 while pregnant showed evidence of placental injury, suggesting a new complication of the illness, researchers say. The good news from the small study of 16 women is that “most of these babies were delivered full-term after otherwise normal pregnancies,” said study senior author Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein. He’s assistant professor of pathology…  read on >

Though the physical health risks posed by COVID-19 are at the top of everyone’s mind, experts warn the pandemic is also exacting a massive toll on mental health. So finds new research emerging on the mental health effects in China, where infection peaks and lockdowns have preceded the American experience by several months. For example,…  read on >

If anxiety and fear about COVID-19 are keeping you awake, rest assured: Adopting a few easy-to-follow habits will help you get a good night’s sleep. “Now more than ever, we need to get good sleep,” said Dr. Amy Guralnick, a pulmonologist at Loyola Medicine in Chicago. “Sleep can help our immune system function at its…  read on >

No matter where you live, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are now lethal centers for COVID-19 in the United States. Im fact, nursing home residents and workers now comprise between 30% and 40% of all COVID-19 related deaths in the United States, according to estimates. The care centers serve as a “well of infection”…  read on >

Air pollution might increase the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS), Italian researchers report. They found that in places with low levels of tiny particles of air pollution called particulate matter, the risk for MS was lower than in areas where those levels were high. In urban areas, the risk was 29% higher than in rural…  read on >

People with physically demanding jobs take more sick leave. They also have higher unemployment rates and shorter work lives, a new Danish study finds. “This study showed that high physical work demands are a marked risk factor for a shortened expected working life and increased years of sickness absence and unemployment,” study co-author Lars Andersen…  read on >