U.S. air quality improved after businesses closed to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus, researchers say. For their new study, they compared air pollution data for 122 U.S. counties between March 13 and April 21, to the same dates and locations going back to 2017. “It has been shown that high air pollution may… read on >
Parents can ease conflict with their teens by showing them warmth, researchers say. In their new study, they analyzed daily diary entries from parents and teens in 151 families. The teens were 13 to 16 years old, and 95% of the parents were women. “By using 21 consecutive days of daily diaries, we were able… read on >
Grilling. Campfires. Fireworks. All are part of summer’s pleasures — but they also pose burn risks. A new survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that 53% mistakenly think their burn risk is lower than it actually is. Only 11% knew that injuries from the flames of a fire pit or grill are the most common… read on >
Irene Johnson noticed a big, blue bus bearing the words “Breathe Easy” outside the Benton, Tenn., library during the 2019 Labor Day weekend. Inside, a librarian told Johnson that the bus was a mobile CT unit that travels around screening smokers for lung cancer. Former longtime smokers, both Johnson and her husband, Karl, fit the… read on >
It has been the sole silver lining in the coronavirus pandemic — cleaner air and water on the planet. But will it continue? A new study says that isn’t yet clear. “The pandemic raises two important questions related to the environment,” said study author Christopher Knittel, from the MIT Sloan School of Management in Boston.… read on >
The world’s population is shifting, with a new analysis predicting it will peak in 2064 at around 9.7 billion people and fall to 8.8 billion by the end of the century. The United States will have population growth until just after mid-century (364 million in 2062). That will be followed by a moderate decline to… read on >
With several potential COVID-19 vaccines now in clinical trials, U.S. policymakers need to plan for the next hurdle: Ensuring Americans actually get vaccinated. That’s according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. It lays out recommendations for winning the public’s trust of any future vaccine, and helping them access it… read on >
About one-third of people prescribed drugs to prevent HIV stopped taking the medications when they were forced to stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey finds. The reason, they said: They weren’t having sex. Many discontinued the drugs without their doctor’s say-so, which has experts concerned. “Reducing the number of new HIV… read on >
Hospitals have put in place strict no-visitation rules meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but these precautions have led to another heart-wrenching dilemma. People are dying alone, gasping their last breath without any family or friends there to provide comfort. Now, some experts are arguing this shouldn’t be the case, and that hospitals need… read on >
A tuberculosis vaccine may help reduce the risk of death from COVID-19, researchers suggest. Developing countries have lower-than-expected COVID-19 death rates, and a TB vaccine given in countries with high rates of tuberculosis might play a significant role in reducing COVID-19 death rates, according to authors of a new study. The vaccine, which is routinely… read on >
