As the United States witnessed record-breaking daily coronavirus case counts over the weekend, public health experts warned that hospitals may soon reach a breaking point. More than 41,000 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized across the country, a 40 percent rise in the past month, The New York Times reported. But in sharp contrast to the early…  read on >

Is your kid suddenly clamoring for a fast food meal or a sugary cereal you’ve never even heard of? He or she may have seen the product featured on a favorite “kid influencer” video. In a new study, researchers viewed the top 50 kid influencer videos on YouTube and found that 9 out of 10…  read on >

Halloween is risky enough this year with the coronavirus pandemic, so don’t risk your vision as well by wearing costume contact lenses, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says. Costume contact lens packaging that claims “one-size-fits-all” or “no need to see an eye doctor” is false, the academy said. Poorly fitted contact lenses can scrape…  read on >

The United States on Thursday recorded its second highest daily total of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, with 75,000 new infections, while eight states broke single-day records of new cases. Also on Thursday, the antiviral medicine remdesivir became the first drug to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to fight COVID-19. Such…  read on >

In a move that widens the pool of people considered at risk for coronavirus infection, U.S. health officials released new guidance on Wednesday that redefines who’s considered a “close contact” of an infected individual. The change, issued by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, will likely have the biggest impact in group settings…  read on >

Hispanic mothers-to-be in the southern United States are almost twice as likely to have COVID-19 as non-Hispanic women, a new study finds. The researchers also found that those with government health insurance were more likely to test positive for the coronavirus than women with private insurance. For the study, pregnant women were routinely tested for…  read on >

A third surge of coronavirus cases now has a firm grip on the United States, with an average of 59,000 new infections being reported across the country every day. That tally is the highest since the beginning of August, and the likelihood is high that the country will soon see the most new COVID-19 infections…  read on >

One of the reasons women may be less vulnerable to COVID-19 is because they’re more likely to adhere to social distancing policies, a new survey suggests. A survey conducted in eight countries in March and April found substantial gender differences both in numbers of people who considered COVID-19 to be a serious health crisis and…  read on >