President Joe Biden plans to announce his latest battle plan for fighting the formidable Omicron variant on Tuesday, with measures to include distributing 500 million free rapid COVID tests to the public, opening new federal testing sites, sending out hundreds of federal vaccinators, and providing 1,000 military medical personnel to bolster beleaguered hospitals. The measures,… read on > read on >
In record time, the Omicron variant has become the dominant variant in the United States, accounting for 73% of new infections last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. That rate suggests that there were more than 650,000 Omicron infections in the United States last week, the Associated Press reported. CDC… read on > read on >
Far from terrorizing people as they did in “Jaws,” sharks may offer humanity hope in fending off future coronavirus outbreaks, new research suggests. That’s because their immune systems have unique antibody-like proteins called VNARs that can prevent the SARS-COV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 and its variants from infecting human cells, the researchers said. The findings… read on > read on >
Moms who had COVID-19 in pregnancy can breathe easier thanks to a small, new study that found no growth or development problems in 6-month-old babies whose mothers had the virus while expecting. “Our results should be reassuring to pregnant women with COVID-19 who are worried about how the virus might affect the baby,” said study… read on > read on >
There is no increased risk of mental health problems in teens and young adults who were conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), Swedish researchers report. Although those born after assisted reproductive techniques did have a slightly higher risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it owed to parental background factors, they said. Since 1978, more than 9 million… read on > read on >
There’s a very low risk of heart inflammation after getting the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, according to a new study that adds to previous research supporting the safety of the shots. The two mRNA vaccines had been linked in some studies with an increased risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and myopericarditis… read on > read on >
At least 48 passengers and crew members on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas — the world’s largest cruise ship — have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been quarantined, the company said Monday. Of the 48 people who tested positive during the sailing, 98% were fully vaccinated. That’s not surprising, since the overall vaccination… read on > read on >
If your children struggle with their weight, new research suggests they may also suffer from diseases once seen only in adults. Stiffening of the arteries, which can lead to early heart attacks and strokes, and type 2 diabetes were found in many of the more than 600 obese children, adolescents and young adults studied. And… read on > read on >
Moderna Inc. announced Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine booster shot significantly increased antibodies against the Omicron variant. “The dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant is concerning to all. However, these data showing that the currently authorized Moderna COVID-19 booster can boost neutralizing antibody levels 37-fold higher than pre-boost levels are reassuring,” Moderna… read on > read on >
Many parents want to make the holiday season magical for their kids, but for some the stress they feel trying to live up to that ideal may actually be doing the opposite. A poll from Michigan Medicine found that about 1 in 5 parents said their holiday stress level negatively affected their child’s enjoyment of… read on > read on >
