It is the ultimate irony: More COVID-19 treatments exist now than at any other time during the pandemic, but the skyrocketing number of cases from the surging Omicron variant might mean you can’t get them when you need them most. Doctors and health systems are again in the difficult position again of rationing supplies to… read on > read on >
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 may slightly and temporarily extend the time between a woman’s menstrual periods, a new study reports. On average, researchers found that the extra time amounts to slightly less than one day. It’s something many women would not notice and is not cause for worry from a health standpoint, they said. But… read on > read on >
The final touches are being put on the White House’s plan to deliver 500 million free coronavirus rapid at-home test kits to households across America. The administration will launch a website where people can request the rapid tests, said four people familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Washington Post… read on > read on >
A medication that acts on certain brain receptors can temporarily ease visual-processing problems in some adults with autism, a small study has found. Researchers said it’s far too early to know whether the drug, arbaclofen, could prove useful in managing those visual issues. But the findings do give insight into the brain differences that underpin… read on > read on >
A simple blood test may help spot pregnant women who are at risk for developing preeclampsia — dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy — before it becomes a threat to both mother and child. Marked by a sudden spike in blood pressure, protein in urine or other problems during pregnancy, preeclampsia occurs in about 1… read on > read on >
The Abbott BinaxNOW and Quidel QuickVue — two widely used rapid at-home COVID tests — may sometimes fail to spot evidence of the Omicron variant in the first days after infection, even when people are carrying substantial levels of the virus, preliminary research suggests. The researchers focused on 30 people infected with COVID at five… read on > read on >
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced that pre-departure tests for people traveling to the United Kingdom will no longer be required because restrictions meant to contain the international spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant are now meaningless. The change should come as welcome news to people who had refrained from traveling overseas… read on > read on >
Far fewer kids might develop asthma if there were less traffic pollution, suggests a new study that researched the issue worldwide. “Our study found that nitrogen dioxide puts children at risk of developing asthma and the problem is especially acute in urban areas,” said study author Susan Anenberg, a professor of environmental and occupational health… read on > read on >
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday endorsed the emergency use of Pfizer’s booster shots for children ages 12 to 17, expanding protection to adolescents and teens as students return to classes and the highly contagious Omicron variant surges across the country. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky backed a recommendation that came hours… read on > read on >
The number of American women with chronic high blood pressure who are dying during and after pregnancy is up sharply, a new study warns. Of 155 million births in the United States between 1979 and 2018, more than 3,200 mothers died of high blood pressure-related causes— a 15-fold rise over the period. The risk was… read on > read on >
