How Moving the Homeless to Hotels During the Pandemic Helps Everyone

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• March 5, 2021
• Full Page

Giving homeless COVID-19 patients a free hotel room for their quarantine and recovery pays huge health dividends for the entire community, according to a new study out of San Francisco.

Only 4% of homeless folks transferred from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital ...

With 3 COVID Vaccines Approved, Is There a 'Best' Shot?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• March 5, 2021
• Full Page

Americans love to have choices, and now there are three COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the United States.

But infectious disease experts say that all three protect strongly against severe COVID-19, so there is only one criteria to use in deciding which vaccine is ...

A Vaccine Against UTIs? New Mouse Study Brings Shot Closer

• Robert Preidt
• March 5, 2021
• Full Page

Many women suffer through countless urinary tract infections (UTIs), but a new study in mice offers hope that a vaccine could one day bring their nightmares to an end.

"Although several vaccines against UTIs have been investigated in clinical trials, they have so far had...

More Data Suggests New Coronavirus Variants Weaken Vaccines, Treatments

• Robert Preidt
• March 4, 2021
• Full Page

There's new evidence that fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are more resistant to antibody treatments and vaccines.

Researchers assessed variants first identified in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Brazil and found that they can evade a...

COVID Death Rates 10 Times Higher in Countries Where Most Are Overweight: Report

• Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
• March 4, 2021
• Full Page

THURSDAY, March 4, 2021 (Healthday News) -- In a finding that suggests overweight people should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines, a new report released Thursday shows the risk of death from coronavirus infection is about 10 times higher in countries where most of the popul...

She Barely Survived a Severe Form of COVID-19 Hitting Kids

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 4, 2021
• Full Page

THURSDAY, March 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Like many people this past year, teenager Tyona Montgomery began experiencing a sore throat and a loss of sense of smell and taste in November that suggested she might have COVID-19.

A positive test confirmed...

New Coronavirus Variant Out of Brazil Now in 5 U.S. States

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• March 3, 2021
• Full Page

WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The first U.S. case of a Brazilian COVID-19 variant that doctors fear can re-infect the previously sick surfaced in Minnesota in early January 2021, and the more infectious variant has since been found in four oth...

Scientists Discover Why Blood Type May Matter for COVID Infection

• March 3, 2021
• Full Page

A new study provides further evidence that people with certain blood types may be more likely to contract COVID-19.

Specifically, it found that the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is particularly attracted to the blood group A antigen found on respiratory cells.

The...

Does an Arthritis Drug Help Patients Battling Severe COVID? It Depends on the Study

• Robert Preidt
• March 3, 2021
• Full Page

Two new studies suggest that the jury is still out on whether the arthritis drug tocilizumab helps those with severe COVID-19.

Both reports were published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The first, from scientists at the University of California...

What You Need to Know About the New J&J COVID Vaccine

• Steven Reinberg
• March 2, 2021
• Full Page

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the emergency use of Johnson & Johnson's single-shot coronavirus vaccine, adding a third weapon to the arsenal the United States is building to battle the pandemic.

The overall effectiveness of the J&J vaccine in protec...

Face Masks Won't Impede Your Breathing, Study Confirms

• Robert Preidt
• March 2, 2021
• Full Page

Breathe easy, folks. A new study affirms that wearing a cloth or surgical face mask won't hamper your breathing.

Researchers in Ohio based that conclusion on tests of 50 adults (median age: 33), both with and without masks. Nearly one-third said they had a chronic health...

Many Women Getting Wrong Antibiotics to Treat a UTI: Study

• Cara Murez
• March 1, 2021
• Full Page

If you've gone to the doctor for a urinary tract infection (UTI), chances are that you've been given the wrong antibiotic or a longer-than-necessary treatment plan.

That's even more likely if you live in a rural area, researchers say.

A new study of private insuran...

Masks Vital to Stopping COVID at Gyms, Studies Show

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• February 25, 2021
• Full Page

If you think you can safely exercise without your mask in a gym during the pandemic, two new government reports show you are mistaken.

Coronavirus outbreaks at fitness centers in Chicago and Honolulu last summer were likely the result of exercisers and instructors not we...

Pandemic Is Adding to Teachers' Stress, and Quit Rates

• Robert Preidt
• February 25, 2021
• Full Page

Stress is the No. 1 reason U.S. teachers left the profession before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new poll reveals.

Nearly 1,000 former public school teachers were polled in December. Three-quarters said their job was often or always stressful during their final ye...

Very Low COVID Infection Rate Among Dental Hygienists: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 25, 2021
• Full Page

Dental hygienists have a low rate of COVID-19, even though their jobs are considered high-risk, a new study says.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared hygienists at high risk for COVID-19, so researchers decided to investigate.

The...

Could Americans Get to COVID Herd Immunity by Late Spring?

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• February 24, 2021
• Full Page

Hungry for good news on the pandemic? One epidemiologist believes Americans might reach herd immunity to the new coronavirus as soon as late spring.

That's the view held by Suzanne Judd, a professor with the school of public health at the University of Alabama (UA) at Bi...

Coronavirus Antibodies Appear to Stop Reinfection for Months

• Ernie Mundell and Steven Reinberg
• February 24, 2021
• Full Page

Protective immune system antibodies that develop after being infected with COVID-19 last for at least a few months, a new study suggests. And reinfection does seem to be relatively rare.

That could have big implications for public health and societies, including allowing...

COVID No More Deadly for People With Asthma, Large Study Shows

• Robert Preidt
• February 24, 2021
• Full Page

During the pandemic, people with asthma have worried that their respiratory condition might raise their risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19, but new research findings should calm their fears.

After analyzing data from 57 studies that included a total of over 58...

Many Older Adults Confused About Proper Use of Antibiotics: Poll

• Robert Preidt
• February 23, 2021
• Full Page

Many older Americans lack knowledge about antibiotics, with some admitting to using leftover medication, a new survey reveals.

More than 2,200 adults, aged 50 to 80, were questioned. Nine out of 10 said they're cautious about using antibiotics, and nearly that number kne...

New Variants Mean COVID Vaccines, Tests May Need Tweaking: FDA

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 22, 2021
• Full Page

The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants could require a quick pivot on the part of pharmaceutical and medical device companies, to help stay one step ahead of COVID-19.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidelines Monday encouraging drug and test developers t...

Teachers Main Drivers of School COVID Outbreaks, So Vaccinations Needed: Study

• Margaret Steele
• February 22, 2021
• Full Page

In the wake of U.S. recommendations to re-open schools, a new government report indicates that teachers may be key spreaders of COVID-19 in schools and should be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Diseas...

You've Had Your COVID Vaccine: Here's What to Expect After

• Robert Preidt
• February 22, 2021
• Full Page

Worried or wondering about COVID-19 vaccines?

Many Americans are, so experts at Penn State Health are offering some reassuring insight.

"People are approaching this vaccine with more hesitation because it was approved quickly, but that really just speaks to how far...

Los robustos sistemas inmunitarios de los niños podrían protegerlos de la COVID-19, según un estudio

• Hola Doctor and Robert Preidt
• February 19, 2021
• Full Page

Los niños se han librado en gran medida de las infecciones graves con la COVID-19, y una nueva investigación ofrece pistas sobre el motivo.

En el estudio, los sistemas inmunitarios de los niños atacaron al nuevo coronavirus con una mayor rapidez y agresividad que los ...

A Third of COVID Survivors Have Long-Haul Symptoms, Even After Mild Cases

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2021
• Full Page

Many patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 could become "long haulers," suffering symptoms months after they clear their non-life-threatening infection, new research shows.

About 33% of COVID-19 patients who were never sick enough to require hospitalization continue to...

Communities of Color Struggling to Get Vaccines to Those in Need

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2021
• Full Page

The greatest threat from COVID-19 has been for Black and Hispanic Americans, who are three times more likely to be hospitalized and about twice as likely to die from an infection with the novel coronavirus, compared with white people.

Now, street-level community groups a...

Heart Damage Seen in Many Hospitalized COVID Patients: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 19, 2021
• Full Page

Heart damage was found in more than half of a group of hospitalized COVID-19 patients after they were discharged, according to a new British study.

The study included 148 patients who were treated for severe COVID-19 at six hospitals in London. The patients all had raise...

No Evidence Coronavirus Spreads Through Food or Food Packaging: FDA

• Robert Preidt
• February 18, 2021
• Full Page

There's no evidence that the new coronavirus can spread through food or food packaging, U.S. health officials say.

Of the more than 100 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, there hasn't been any epidemiological evidence of food or food packaging as the source of SARS-CoV...

Kids' Robust Immune Systems May Shield Them From COVID-19: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 18, 2021
• Full Page

Children have largely been spared severe COVID-19 infection, and new research hints at why.

In the study, children's immune systems attacked the new coronavirus faster and more aggressively than adults' immune systems did, the findings showed.

The researchers analy...

COVID-19 Caused U.S. Life Expectancy to Drop by 1 Full Year

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 18, 2021
• Full Page

In a sign that the coronavirus pandemic is cutting short the lives of Americans, a new government report finds that average life expectancy in the United States took a drastic plunge during the first half of 2020, particularly among Black and Hispanic people.

Overall U.S...

COVID & Elevators: A Dangerous Mix, But Here's How to Make It Safer

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• February 17, 2021
• Full Page

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- As the new coronavirus vaccine rollout gathers speed, elevators will likely become a flash point for businesses hoping to reopen offices while sticking to social distancing.

And a new computer simulation sug...

1 in 3 Americans Delayed, Skipped Medical Care During Pandemic

• Robert Preidt
• February 17, 2021
• Full Page

If you've put off or skipped needed medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic, you've got plenty of company.

More than a third of U.S. adults say they have delayed or gone without care either because they fear exposure to the virus or because health care services are har...

Maskless Tourists Could Pass COVID-19 to Wild Gorillas

• Cara Murez
• February 17, 2021
• Full Page

Seeing mountain gorillas in the wild might be the moment of a lifetime that you want to capture with a selfie, but think twice before removing your face mask for the shot.

While everyone knows mask-wearing curbs the spread of COVID-19 among humans, wearing masks might al...

Health Care After COVID: A New Focus on Infectious Diseases

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 16, 2021
• Full Page

When New York City was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic last spring in the United States, nearby Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital was treating more than 400 COVID-19 patients at one time, remembers Dr. Aaron Glatt.

Infectious disease experts had warned for...

U.S. Schools Can Reopen, With Safeguards in Place: CDC

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 12, 2021
• Full Page

It may be safe for many of America's kids to head back to classrooms, experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday.

According to the agency's new operational guidance, schools can safely reopen if they employ five key "layered mitiga...

Southern California Is Origin of New COVID-19 Variant

• Steven Reinberg
• February 12, 2021
• Full Page

A new variant of COVID-19 found in Southern California is coursing across the United States and around the world, a new study finds.

The variant -- called CAL.20C -- was first found in July in Los Angeles County. It reappeared in Southern California in October, then spre...

Trump Was Much Sicker With COVID-19 Than Was Revealed

• Ernie Mundell
• February 12, 2021
• Full Page

Former President Donald Trump was much more ill than was let on when he came down with COVID-19 in early October, sources close to Trump have told The New York Times.

At one point, his blood oxygen levels plunged to the 80s -- a level in the low 90s is considere...

Tips to Making a Highly Effective COVID Mask at Home

• Cara Murez
• February 12, 2021
• Full Page

When choosing a face mask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it seems like the choices are endless.

To make the decision a little easier, researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, tested several styles in 41 types of fabric.

The u...

Antibiotics in Pregnancy Tied to Higher Odds for Asthma in Kids

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 11, 2021
• Full Page

Children whose mothers used antibiotics in pregnancy may have a slightly heightened risk of asthma, a new study suggests.

Experts were quick to point out the finding does not prove cause and effect, and the reasons for the antibiotic use -- rather than the drug -- might ...

Prior Exposure to Common Cold Won't Shield You From COVID: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 11, 2021
• Full Page

It would be nice if it were true, but a bout of the common cold won't protect you against the new coronavirus infection, researchers report.

Colds are caused by seasonal coronaviruses (CoVs) and previous studies have suggested that exposure to cold coronaviruses may saf...

Genes Could Raise COVID Risks for People With Down Syndrome

• Robert Preidt
• February 11, 2021
• Full Page

Certain genetic factors in people with Down syndrome may increase their COVID-19 risks.

Previous studies have found that people with Down syndrome are 10 times more likely to die from COVID-19, and experts have said they should be among those given priority for vaccinati...

Did the New Coronavirus Come From Pangolins? New Study Says It's Possible

• Cara Murez
• February 10, 2021
• Full Page

Could it be that a strange-looking creature known as a pangolin was the conduit by which the new coronavirus jumped to humans and prompted an international pandemic?

New research suggests the theory is a plausible one.

Pangolins are sold for food in live-animal "w...

Interferon Shot Might Keep COVID-19 Patients Out of the Hospital

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• February 9, 2021
• Full Page

An experimental antiviral drug known as peginterferon lambda can speed up COVID-19 patients' ability to shed the virus and recover, scientists report.

"One of the important things about this treatment that's different from the other things that have been studied for COVI...

Why Your 2nd Dose of COVID Vaccine Is Likely to Feel Worse

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 9, 2021
• Full Page

His second COVID-19 vaccine shot wiped Dr. Greg Poland out.

Poland, 65, said he suffered five hours of shaking chills, fever up to 101 degrees, severe headache, nausea, ringing in his ears and a sore arm after getting his booster dose of the Moderna vaccine.

"I've ...

Add Gum Disease to List of Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• February 9, 2021
• Full Page

Keep flossing: A new study finds that gum disease may raise the chances of hospitalization or death if COVID-19 strikes.

The reason? Gum disease can be a sign of inflammation throughout the body.

"It is well-established that systemic inflammation is not only linke...

Bans on Evictions, Utility Shutoffs Are Curbing COVID Infections: Study

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 8, 2021
• Full Page

Bans on evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic may not only be keeping people safe and warm in their homes: They might also limit the spread of COVID-19, new research suggests.

Over the first nine months of the pandemic, the study found, U.S. counties with th...

Livestock Workers at Higher Risk for 'Superbug' Infection

• Cara Murez
• February 8, 2021
• Full Page

Livestock workers have an elevated risk of getting infected with dangerous, antibiotic-resistant "superbug" bacteria, a new study shows.

Researchers from Michigan State University expected that finding when studying those risks by reviewing 15 years of published literatu...

Most Americans May Keep Wearing Masks, Distancing Even After Pandemic: Survey

• Cara Murez
• February 8, 2021
• Full Page

Wearing masks, frequent hand-washing and avoiding large crowds may not have been part of the American culture before the coronavirus pandemic began, but those habits are likely to stick around for a while, new research suggests.

A national survey from Ohio State Universi...

Connecticut Man's Illness Suggests Recurrent Case of COVID-19 Is Possible

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 5, 2021
• Full Page

An unfortunate Connecticut man apparently suffered through two separate bouts of COVID-19 four months apart, adding to evidence that reinfection can occur after natural immunity wanes, doctors say.

The 43-year-old Hispanic man had a life-threatening first infection with ...

Study Shows Social Distancing Does Cut Your Odds for COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• February 5, 2021
• Full Page

Keeping a safe distance because it is safer for everyone during a pandemic also carries a personal payoff.

A new study finds that social distancing reduces your individual risk of contracting COVID-19.

"The evidence from our work indicates there is value in sociall...

Very Little Spread of Coronavirus at Kids' Day Camps: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 5, 2021
• Full Page

Day camps could be considered breeding grounds for coronavirus infection, but a new study shows that when social distancing measures are followed, few illnesses result.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 6,800 children and staff members who were at 54 YMCA day camp...