It’s sort of like the Goldilocks principle — a room that’s either too dry or too humid can influence transmission of COVID-19 and cause more illness or death, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say. Maintaining an indoor relative humidity between 40% and 60% is associated with lower rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths, they reported…  read on >  read on >

Plant-based diets can be better for the environment, but they’re not all created equally, new research shows. The best type of plant-based diet for health and environmental benefits are those higher in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils and tea/coffee. Meanwhile plant-based diets high in fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes and…  read on >  read on >

A good workout can boost mood, making it an ideal routine as the days get shorter and darker. If you’re one of the millions affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and you feel tired, unmotivated, down on life and crave carbs and sweets, staying active can help. An expert from Baylor College of Medicine in…  read on >  read on >

Hurricane Nicole left thousands of Floridians without power Thursday morning, leading the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to warn residents about the dangers of generators and candles. The Category 1 hurricane made landfall south of Vero Beach on the East Coast and was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm. It was expected to dump heavy…  read on >  read on >

Heat waves may be killing prisoners in Texas, according to an analysis that found far-higher-than-normal death rates in the state’s non-air-conditioned prisons. “The majority of Texas prisons do not have universal air conditioning,” noted lead study author Julie Skarha. “And in these settings, we found a 30-fold increase in heat-related mortality when compared to estimates…  read on >  read on >

Most people consider drowsy driving dangerous, but an estimated 37 million Americans still get behind the wheel at least once a year when they’re so tired they can barely keep their eyes open. About six in 10 people admitted to drowsy driving in a new survey by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). “Drowsy driving is…  read on >  read on >

The Atlantic seaboard could be in for faster-forming and wetter hurricanes, new research warns. Climate change is the overarching cause, experts say. As parts of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico recover from powerful hurricanes Ian and Fiona, scientists are trying to better understand the conditions that cause storms to intensify rapidly. “Our findings…  read on >  read on >