Severe winter weather has a grip on much of the United States, which increases the risk of injuries from slipping on ice, shoveling, sports such as skiing and sledding, and car crashes. “One of the most frequently seen causes for visits to the emergency room this time of year is from slipping on icy sidewalks,”… read on > read on >
All Travel:
Drivers May Be Inhaling Dangerous Carcinogens Inside Their Cars
Worried about what damage the polluted air outside might pose to your health during your work commute? New research suggests you might want to worry more about the chemicals you are exposed to inside your car. Benzene and formaldehyde are used in automobile manufacturing, and both are known to cause cancer at or above certain… read on > read on >
Misjudging Thin Ice Can Be Fatal, Check First
Before you venture onto frozen ponds, lakes and rivers, it’s critical to make sure they’re safe, an expert cautions. “A minimum of four inches of clear, newly formed ice is needed to support one person on foot,” according to Curt Sinclair, a natural resources specialist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “New ice is usually… read on > read on >
Are Your Allergies Worse? Blame Climate Change
In a grim development for allergy sufferers in North America, a new investigation warns that pollen seasons are getting longer and worse. Over the last three decades, the annual pollen season has expanded by nearly three weeks, accompanied by a 21% jump in pollen concentrations. A big underlying cause: climate change. “It is clear that… read on > read on >
Speeding on U.S. Roads Is Taking Thousands of Teenagers’ Lives
Nearly half — 43% — of all fatal car crashes involving teens and their passengers are the result of speeding, a new automobile safety report reveals. The finding stems from an in-depth analysis of all fatal motor vehicle accidents across the United States between 2015 and 2019. During this five-year period, 4,930 teen drivers and… read on > read on >
Driving Hazards Differ for Teens With Autism
Getting a driver’s license is an important milestone for many teens and young adults, including those with autism. But all beginner drivers face hazards on the road. New research analyzing motor vehicle crashes shows that teens with autism are half as likely to crash due to speeding as their peers, but three times more likely… read on > read on >
Climate Change May Have Helped Emergence of New Coronavirus
It’s a link few might have considered, but a new study indicates that climate change may have prompted the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising temperatures caused by greenhouse emissions have boosted the growth of bat-friendly forest habitat in China’s southern province of Yunnan and neighboring areas, making the region a hotspot for bat-borne coronaviruses, the researchers explained.… read on > read on >
Drugged Driving a Growing Threat on America’s Roads
Combining drugs with driving is a potentially deadly but all too common combination in the United States, according to a new report. University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers found that almost 9% of adults reported driving under the influence of alcohol. Marijuana use among drivers was more than 4%, while many adults also use both pot… read on > read on >
‘So Happy:’ World’s First Hand/Face Transplant Patient Doing Well
Joe DiMeo’s life changed forever when he fell asleep at the wheel on U.S. Route 22 in New Jersey on July 14, 2018. The horrific crash left him with third-degree burns on 80% of his body and a grim prognosis. Now, more than two years later, DiMeo, 22, is the recipient of the world’s first… read on > read on >
Biden Will Ban Travelers From South Africa as New COVID Variants Spread
As more infectious coronavirus variants first detected in Britain and South Africa circulate globally, President Joe Biden plans to bar travel by non-citizens into the United States from South Africa. A White House official said Sunday that the South Africa travel ban would go into effect on Jan. 30 and that an existing ban would… read on > read on >