As many as 45% of people infected with COVID-19 have no symptoms, and they may play a major role in the spread of the virus, a new study says. The findings show the need for large-scale testing and contact tracing to combat the pandemic, according to the Scripps Research investigators. “The silent spread of the…  read on >

A person’s genes and blood type may help determine their odds for a nastier form of COVID-19, should they get infected with the new coronavirus, a new genetics study finds. Published online June 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the research helps confirm earlier, more anecdotal evidence that blood type was tied to…  read on >

COVID-19 spreads easily among people who live together and other family members, even before an infected person shows any symptoms, new research shows. The study — published June 17 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal — also said that the new coronavirus spreads among household members more easily than severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or…  read on >

With U.S. fatalities from COVID-19 now past 115,000, British scientists delivered some welcome news on Tuesday: A drug that appears to cut the odds of death in ventilated patients by one-third. The drug is a low-cost steroid called dexamethasone, which has been in use for decades, noted a team at the University of Oxford. In…  read on >

The COVID-19 pandemic may be stressing out most people, but it has had a surprising upside for college students: They’re sleeping better. That’s the upshot of a new study that investigated sleep habits of 139 college students before and after Colorado enacted a stay-at-home order to prevent spread of the new coronavirus. “In the end,…  read on >

Dental offices responded to COVID-19 lockdowns in much the same way as other medical professions, halting routine visits and only providing emergency care to patients in dire need. But now that stay-at-home orders are lifting, many dentists are reopening, but with new protocols to limit infection. Your dental appointment will not be the same, with…  read on >

Back off, Mom and Dad: Teens who feel their parents are overly controlling may have more difficulty with romantic relationships as adults, a new study suggests. The study, which followed 184 teens, found that those with domineering parents had a future that was different from their peers: On average, they did not go as far…  read on >