The grosser someone sounds when they cough or sneeze, the more likely you are to suspect they have a contagious infection — even if it’s not true. That’s the upshot of a new study in which participants were asked to judge whether people were — or weren’t — infected with a communicable disease by the… read on >
Social restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic can be especially hard for people who can’t visit loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease who are in nursing homes. Despite an easing of restrictions, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says nursing homes shouldn’t allow outside visitors until the last phase of its reopening guidelines. “One of… read on >
Washing your hands more often may do more than slow the spread of COVID-19: New research suggests it also lowers your exposure to toxic flame retardants. How? Scientists found that halogenated flame retardants used in plastic TV cases can travel from the TV to indoor air and dust, then to hands, and then to electronic… read on >
Streaks of color swirl through a pulsing, black-and-white image of a patient’s heart. They represent blood, and they’re color-coded based on speed: turquoise and green for the fastest flow, yellow and red for the slowest. This real-time video, which can be rotated and viewed from any angle, allows doctors to spot problems like a leaky… read on >
Bright yellow and looking like a headless deer, Spot can travel across ground too risky for humans. “Built for dirt and danger,” in the words of its maker Boston Dynamics, this robot is now helping humans battle a different threat: the spread of coronavirus. Equipped with an iPad and two-way radio, Spot has been making… read on >
The latest cancer prevention guidelines may change your typical backyard barbecue: Gone are the hot dogs and booze. In are veggie kebobs and maybe a swim or some badminton. The American Cancer Society’s new cancer prevention recommendations suggest, among other things, adding more physical activity to your days. About 20 minutes a day is the… read on >
Americans are ready to rip off their face masks and just have a nice dinner in a restaurant, but the best shot at returning to normalcy — vaccines to prevent COVID-19 — will be in clinical trials for months or longer. The good news is that there are more than 100 vaccines of varying types… read on >
Back before coronavirus took over the headlines, every week seemed to bring another report about artificial intelligence besting human doctors at everything from diagnosing skin cancer to spotting pneumonia on chest X-rays. But these artificial intelligence (AI) tools — computer programs that get better at performing a task by being “trained” on the right kind… read on >
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects, and a new study points to yet another: It may be keeping people from seeking emergency care for suicidal thoughts. The study, at one large Ohio health system, found that ER visits for suicidal ideation dropped by over 60% in the month after the state instituted its stay-at-home… read on >
COVID-19 is taking a heavy toll on Americans’ mental health, a new nationwide survey shows. Overall, psychological distress more than tripled between 2018 and this spring — from 4% of U.S. adults in 2018 to 14% in April. Beth McGinty, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said the… read on >
