The highly contagious Delta variant now accounts for more than half of all new coronavirus infections in the United States, new government data shows. The dangerous variant that crippled India recently currently makes up 51.7% of new infections in this country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the same time,…  read on >  read on >

Women who are breastfeeding and wonder if COVID-19 vaccination is safe for their baby may be reassured by the results of a new study. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, report that “vaccine-associated mRNA” — the active components of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines — “was not detected in 13 milk samples collected…  read on >  read on >

Telehealth is increasing in popularity in the United States, partly due to the pandemic. But some children with autism have difficulty sitting through these virtual appointments. Yet those visits can be a helpful part of a child’s ongoing medical care, and their convenience may help limit time away from work and school, according to the…  read on >  read on >

The Delta variant of COVID-19 is upending any return to normalcy in some parts of the United States, with locales like Los Angeles County urging vaccinated folks to once again don masks indoors. Infectious disease experts said these places are acting with an abundance of appropriate caution, given that the Delta variant is more transmissible…  read on >  read on >

Add hearing loss to the many dangers posed by fireworks. More than 40 million Americans have some type of hearing loss, and about 10 million of those cases can be attributed to noise, according to the American Academy of Audiology. Noise from fireworks can reach 155 decibels — louder than a jet plane taking off…  read on >  read on >