Most gene variants that have been labeled “pathogenic” may make only a small difference in a person’s risk of actually developing disease, a new study suggests. Scouring genetic data on more than 72,000 individuals, researchers found that most of the gene variants believed to contribute to disease actually have a minor impact: On average, those… read on > read on >
In response to claims that a man was denied a heart transplant because he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston said Wednesday that its transplant policies mirror those used across the United States. In a crowdfunding appeal for 31-year-old D.J. Ferguson, a father of two, his family said the… read on > read on >
An initial surge in antibody levels against the Omicron variant after a booster dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine wanes within six months, but the antibodies remained effective against it in lab tests, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed antibody levels in volunteers who received the booster after two doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine.… read on > read on >
A “stealthier” version of the Omicron variant that has been spotted in the United States and dozens of other countries is being closely monitored by health officials and scientists. The variant, called BA.2, has genetic traits that make it somewhat more difficult to detect, and some experts fear it may also be more contagious than… read on > read on >
They’ve gotten some media headlines recently, but potential menstrual changes associated with getting a COVID vaccine are typically minor and temporary, two new international studies confirm. That’s great news for women, said an expert in fertility and reproductive health. “The studies coming from the UK, US and Norway provide us with significance reassurance that the… read on > read on >
It’s frightening to see your child have a fever-related (febrile) seizure, but researchers are learning more about who’s more susceptible. An international study has identified seven new genes associated with febrile seizures, or febrile convulsions, in young children. Febrile seizures are defined as seizures in children younger than age 5 who have a fever above… read on > read on >
A one-two punch from science has clearly tagged the mononucleosis virus, Epstein-Barr, as a major cause of multiple sclerosis. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) appears to trigger multiple sclerosis (MS) by tricking the immune systems of some into attacking their body’s own nerve cells, a new study indicates. “We demonstrated that a specific protein in EBV… read on > read on >
More than 1.1 million American kids were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week ending Jan. 20, new data show. That’s 17% higher than the 981,000 cases diagnosed the week before and double the number from two weeks before that. “As we approach the two-year anniversary of the pandemic, cases of COVID-19 among children and adolescents… read on > read on >
COVID-19 vaccines don’t affect the outcomes of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a new study. It’s more evidence that the shots won’t harm fertility, researchers said. The results “will give people comfort to know that the COVID-19 vaccine does not affect their reproductive potential,” said senior study author Dr. Alan Copperman, director of reproductive endocrinology… read on > read on >
Remember when everyone was disinfecting their groceries at the start of the pandemic, fearful that the new coronavirus could be spread simply by touching a surface on which the virus had landed? New research confirms that much of that cleaning was unnecessary because people are unlikely to get COVID-19 from contaminated surfaces. “Early on in… read on > read on >
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