Trips to the beach or a pool add to summer’s fun, but parents need to ensure that children are safe in and around the water. Masks and social distancing are a must this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. And kids must be supervised even if they’re able to swim, experts at the Children’s Hospital…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — As the daily toll of new coronavirus cases broke yet another record and topped 55,000 on Thursday, COVID-19 hospitalizations were also climbing across the South and West. Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Nevada and Arizona all set records for hospitalizations on Thursday, a sobering harbinger of what is yet to come, the Washington Post…  read on >

People with HIV who were hospitalized with COVID-19 didn’t have worse results than COVID-19 patients without HIV, new research shows. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve suspected that immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV, could be at a higher risk for infection and suffer more severe outcomes, but without data on how COVID-19 affects patients with…  read on >

West Virginia loosened fireworks sales rules in 2016. And since then, the state has seen a 40% boom in fireworks-related injuries, researchers say. The regulation change made it easier for people to buy Class C fireworks such as Roman candles, bottle rockets and fountains. “Since there has been a trend among states to liberalize these…  read on >

When it comes to intelligence, men are more likely to be bestowed with the lofty attribute than women, a new study finds. These stereotyped views are a result of implicit bias that people don’t admit when asked directly, the researchers noted. “Stereotypes that portray brilliance as a male trait are likely to hold women back…  read on >

Do you wonder if you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus in the recent past? Good luck finding out for sure: A new review finds there’s little good evidence of the accuracy of blood antibody tests for COVID-19, especially those performed outside a lab. The new findings “indicate important weaknesses in the evidence on COVID-19…  read on >

Almost overnight, the pandemic has turned cotton masks into an American wardrobe staple. But a coughing simulation shows that not all cotton masks are equal as a defense against COVID-19. “We focused primarily on nonmedical-grade masks that are recommended for use by the wider public,” said lead author Siddhartha Verma. He’s an assistant professor at…  read on >

If you plan to celebrate Independence Day, you might want to reconsider setting off fireworks, Prevent Blindness suggests. There are other, safer ways to mark the United States of America’s birthday, according to the nonprofit eye health and safety group. It noted that thousands of Americans are injured by fireworks each year, especially around July…  read on >