The United States and Canada are investigating a multistate outbreak of norovirus illnesses linked to raw oysters from Canada. Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell these potentially contaminated raw oysters, which were harvested in the south and central parts of Baynes Sound, British Columbia, Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – Medicare announced Monday that seniors can now walk into most drug stores and get a free over-the-counter COVID test. “For the first time in its history, Medicare is paying for an over-the-counter test,” Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, director of the Center for Medicare, said in a news release on the announcement.…  read on >  read on >

Does youthful experimentation with drugs and alcohol always fade with age? Not necessarily, a long-term study warns. Researchers found that more than 60% of teens who report heavy use of alcohol, marijuana, and/or other drugs continue to have a drug problem as adults, often involving misuse of prescription medications. The findings follow decades tracking more…  read on >  read on >

Efforts to cut back on risky opioid use for pain after surgery are trickling down to kids. New research shows that fewer Americans under the age of 18 were prescribed narcotics to treat surgical pain between 2014 and 2017, and these numbers dropped even more rapidly beginning in late 2017. While opioids can help kids…  read on >  read on >