Vitamin D May Lower Black Women's Odds for COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• July 28, 2021
• Full Page

Unlocking a clue to why Black women might be more susceptible to COVID-19, a new study shows that low levels of vitamin D may increase their risk of infection.

That doesn't mean that people should rely on vitamin D supplements to protect themselves against COVID-19, howe...

Pfizer Vaccine Offers 88% Protection Against Delta Variant, But 2 Doses Needed

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

Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine provides surprisingly robust protection against the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 -- but only if you've gotten both doses.

Fresh data out of England shows that two doses of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine is 88% effective in pr...

In a First for the Continent, Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Produced in South Africa

• Robert Preidt
• July 21, 2021
• Full Page

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be produced for the first time in Africa by a South African firm, Pfizer announced Wednesday.

The Biovac Institute in Cape Town will produce the vaccine for distribution across Africa, which is in desperate need of more COVID-19 vaccines ...

Secret Weapon: Why the 2nd Dose of Pfizer Vaccine Is So Crucial

• Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• July 21, 2021
• Full Page

It takes two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to "wake up" cells that play a very important role in the body's immune response, with the second dose increasing their numbers 100-fold, according to new research.

The Stanford University study may help explain ...

Canada Surpasses U.S. COVID Vaccination Rates

• Robert Preidt
• July 19, 2021
• Full Page

COVID-19 vaccination rates in Canada have now beaten those in the United States.

As of Saturday, more than 49% of eligible people in Canada were fully vaccinated, and 70% had received at least one dose of vaccine, according to figures from the Our World in Data project, ...

Chinese Man Dies of Rare Virus From Monkeys

• Robert Preidt
• July 19, 2021
• Full Page

A Chinese researcher has died after catching a rare infectious disease called the Monkey B virus, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention officials say.

In March, the 53-year-old veterinarian dissected two dead monkeys as part of his work in a Beijing research ...

Monkeypox Case Confirmed in U.S. Resident, Threat of Spread Is Low

• Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
• July 19, 2021
• Full Page

A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in an American who had recently traveled to Nigeria, U.S. health officials reported. Officials believe the threat of the virus spreading to others is low.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that's in the same ...

More Than a Quarter of Long COVID Patients Still Not Recovered After 6 Months

• Robert Preidt
• July 16, 2021
• Full Page

How long can some COVID symptoms linger? New research suggests that more than a quarter of adults who had COVID-19 in 2020 weren't fully recovered six to eight months later.

There's growing evidence that COVID-19 can cause long-term physical and mental health problems. T...

Chinese Man Hospitalized With H5N6 Bird Flu

• Robert Preidt
• July 15, 2021
• Full Page

A man in China has been hospitalized with the H5N6 strain of avian flu, which is one of several potentially dangerous strains that can infect humans.

The 55-year-old man came down with a fever and tested positive for the virus on July 6. He was hospitalized in Bazhong, a...

COVID Antibodies From Vaccination Are Almost 3 Times Higher Than From Infection

• Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• July 15, 2021
• Full Page

THURSDAY, July 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- People who've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have a much stronger immune system response against the new coronavirus than those who've previously been infected, according to a new study.

"Vaccinated i...

Heart Troubles Ease Over Time in Kids With MIS-C

• Robert Preidt
• July 15, 2021
• Full Page

Here's some reassuring news for parents: Most heart problems in children with a rare inflammatory condition triggered by COVID-19 infection resolve within a few months, a new study finds.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) causes inflammation throughou...

Inhaled COVID Vaccine Shows Promise in Animal Trials

• Robert Preidt
• July 13, 2021
• Full Page

Breathing in protection: Scientists say an experimental inhaled COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in animal tests.

"The currently available vaccines against COVID-19 are very successful, but the majority of the world's population is still unvaccinated and there is a critica...

Could Men's Testosterone Play Role in COVID Survival?

• Robert Preidt
• July 12, 2021
• Full Page

Men with low testosterone levels have a much higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, a new study from Italy finds.

The study included nearly 300 symptomatic male COVID-19 patients who arrived at the emergency department and were admitted to San Raffaele Un...

U.S. COVID Vaccine Rollout Saved 279,000 Lives: Study

• Robert Preidt
• July 9, 2021
• Full Page

COVID-19 vaccines have prevented at least 279,000 deaths and 1.25 million hospitalizations in the United States, but the Delta variant poses a significant threat to that progress, researchers say.

"The vaccines have been strikingly successful in reducing the spread of th...

COVID Cases Surge in Los Angeles County as Delta Variant Spreads

• Robert Preidt
• July 9, 2021
• Full Page

There is "exponential growth" of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County as the Delta variant becomes the dominant strain, health officials there reported Thursday.

Even though 60% of people older than 16 in the county have been fully vaccinated, the case rate rose from ...

Global Consortium Finds Genes That Drive Severe COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• July 9, 2021
• Full Page

Why do some people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have either no or negligible symptoms, while others sicken and die?

Scientists who've pinpointed several genetic markers associated with severe COVID-19 say their findings could provide answers to that important question -- and...

Your Job Could Put You at Much Higher Risk for Flu

• Robert Preidt
• July 9, 2021
• Full Page

Your job may significantly increase your risk of catching the flu, with potential implications for the spread of other infectious diseases including COVID-19, according to new research.

On average, working folks are 35% more likely to get the flu than those without jobs,...

India's COVID Crisis Could Spawn Another: Antibiotic Misuse

• July 5, 2021
• Full Page

While COVID-19 surged in India, so did the overuse or widespread misuse of antibiotics -- risking a future threat of drug-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic sales soared during India's first wave of COVID, suggesting the drugs were used to treat mild and moderate cases. That...

How Much Should the Delta Variant Worry You?

• July 2, 2021
• Full Page

The Delta variant of COVID-19 is upending any return to normalcy in some parts of the United States, with locales like Los Angeles County urging vaccinated folks to once again don masks indoors.

Infectious disease experts said these places are acting with an abundance of...

COVID Falls From America's #1 Killer to #7 by June

• Robert Preidt
• July 1, 2021
• Full Page

A steep rise in vaccination rates has dropped COVID-19 from the first to the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, a new analysis shows.

The disease was the third leading cause of death for much of 2020, but became the leading cause of death in December 2...

Could the 'Mono' Virus Be Driving Long-Haul COVID?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 30, 2021
• Full Page

Some folks suffering COVID long-haul symptoms might actually be experiencing an attack of fatigue-inducing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a new study argues.

Two-thirds of a group of 30 COVID long-haul patients had high levels of Epstein-Barr antibodies, suggesting that EBV l...

Some Myeloma Patients Get No Protection From COVID-19 Vaccines

• Ernie Mundell and Cara Murez HealthDay Reporters
• June 30, 2021
• Full Page

Because they're often given drugs that suppress their immune systems, people battling a blood cancer known as multiple myeloma have varying responses to the COVID-19 vaccine, new research shows.

Some patients had no evidence at all of COVID-fighting antibody production a...

No Sign Prior COVID Infection Affects a Woman's Fertility: Study

• Robert Preidt
• June 28, 2021
• Full Page

COVID-19 infection doesn't reduce the chances of successful fertility treatment in women, a small new study suggests.

Concerns have been raised about how the virus affects women's fertility because it invades its target cells by binding to the ACE2 receptor, which is wid...

99% of New U.S. COVID Hospitalizations, Deaths Occurring Among the Unvaccinated

• Robert Preidt
• June 25, 2021
• Full Page

Unvaccinated people now account for nearly all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the United States, federal government figures show.

An Associated Press analysis of May data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that infections in...

Is the 'Delta Plus' COVID Variant a New Concern?

• Ernie Mundell
• June 25, 2021
• Full Page

India, already hit hard by the Delta variant of COVID-19, has labeled a closely related new variant -- dubbed "Delta Plus" -- as a "variant of concern."

But some epidemiologists in India and abroad say there's just not enough data yet to warrant broader cautions about th...

As COVID Rules Ease, Common Colds Rebound Across America

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 25, 2021
• Full Page

Infectious disease expert Ravina Kullar's husband has a cold. So does her sister-in-law.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Clinic's waiting rooms are becoming much more frequented by folks with coughs, sneezes and sniffles, said family medicine physician Dr. Neha Vyas.

Thes...

When, Where Was the First Case of COVID-19?

• Robert Preidt
• June 25, 2021
• Full Page

The first case of COVID-19 may have occurred in China weeks earlier than previously thought, a new study claims.

The first officially identified case occurred in early December 2019, but increasing evidence suggests the original case may have emerged earlier.

In th...

Lost Sense of Smell Returns for Almost All COVID Survivors

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• June 24, 2021
• Full Page

A year on, nearly all patients in a French study who lost their sense of smell after a bout of COVID-19 did regain that ability, researchers report.

"Persistent COVID-19-related anosmia [loss of smell] has an excellent prognosis, with nearly complete recovery at one year...

Mental Confusion an Early Warning Sign of Severe COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• June 24, 2021
• Full Page

COVID-19 patients with mental confusion are at increased risk for a severe form of the illness, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed the electronic health records of more than 36,000 COVID-19 patients at five Florida hospitals. Of those, 12% developed severe COVID-19....

Another Pollen Misery: It Might Help Transmit COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• June 23, 2021
• Full Page

Pollen is tough enough for allergy sufferers, but a new study suggests it also helps spread the new coronavirus and other airborne germs.

Researchers had noticed a connection between COVID-19 infection rates and pollen concentrations on the National Allergy Map of the Un...

Autopsy Study Shows How COVID Harms the Brain

• Robert Preidt
• June 22, 2021
• Full Page

The brains of people who died from COVID-19 were remarkably similar to the brains of people who die from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, showing inflammation and disrupted circuitry, researchers report.

"The brains of patients who died fr...

Not-So-Happy-Birthdays: Parties Helped Spread COVID, Study Finds

• June 21, 2021
• Full Page

Birthday celebrations raised the risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2 by 30% last year in U.S. counties with high rates of COVID-19, according to a new study.

No such surge was seen in places with low rates of infection.

For the study, researchers at Harvard Medical School...

U.S. to Spend $3.2 Billion to Help Develop Antiviral Pills for COVID

• Ernie Mundell and Robin Foster HealthDay Reporters
• June 18, 2021
• Full Page

After spending billions to speed the creation of COVID-19 vaccines, the United States said Thursday that it will now devote $3.2 billion to the development of antiviral pills that could stop the new coronavirus before it does its worst damage.

Along with "accelerating th...

Animal Study Offers Hope for a Better Herpes Treatment

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

Aiming to deliver a one-two punch to the herpes virus, animal research on an experimental drug found it tackled active infections and reduced or eliminated the risk of future outbreaks.

Existing treatments, such as Zovirax, Valtrex or Famvir, are o...

Living With HIV Raises Odds for Sudden Cardiac Death

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• June 17, 2021
• Full Page

People living with HIV have to take powerful drug cocktails to keep their disease in check, but a new study finds they also need to worry about a doubled risk of sudden cardiac death.

Unlike a heart attack caused by a blocked heart artery, sudden cardiac death can happen...

Less Than 1% of People Who've Had Severe COVID Get Re-Infected

• Robert Preidt
• June 17, 2021
• Full Page

People who have had severe COVID-19 and worry about going through another bout of it can relax: New research finds that less than 1% of people who've had a severe coronavirus infection get re-infected.

For the study, University of Missouri researchers analyzed data from...

Pandemic Silver Lining: Fewer Dangerous Flare-Ups for COPD Patients

• Cara Murez
• June 16, 2021
• Full Page

Public health precautions meant to reduce the spread of COVID-19 may have had an unintended but happy side effect.

They may also have benefited individuals who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study.

During the pandemic, admissi...

Babies Produce Strong Immune Response to Ward Off COVID-19: Study

• Robert Preidt
• June 14, 2021
• Full Page

British researchers report that babies have a strong immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19, based on a new, small study.

For the research, the investigators assessed the immune systems of four infants under 3 months of age who had recovered from COVID, and c...

Will People Really Need a Yearly COVID Booster Vaccine?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 11, 2021
• Full Page

As the number of people fully immunized against COVID-19 rises into the hundreds of millions, immunologists and infectious disease experts now are pondering a new question in the unfolding pandemic.

Namely, how long will vaccine immunity last, and will people who've gott...

Colds, Bronchitis Cases Resurged After Texas Eased COVID Rules

• Cara Murez
• June 9, 2021
• Full Page

After Texas relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, other respiratory illnesses -- such as colds, bronchitis and pneumonia -- made rapid rebounds.

Pathologists from Houston Methodist Hospital found that the rhinovirus and enterovirus infections that can trigger these illnesses st...

Real-World Study Shows Power of Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines to Prevent COVID

• Robert Preidt
• June 8, 2021
• Full Page

A real-world study shows that even when folks who get the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines do have 'breakthrough' infections, those illnesses are mild.

The study, from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is among the first to show that...

Many Existing Drugs Could Be Potent COVID Fighters: Study

• Robert Preidt
• June 7, 2021
• Full Page

It has been an elusive goal so far -- finding a potent treatment that can beat back the new coronavirus before it grabs a hold of a patient's immune system and sends it into overdrive.

But new research suggests that more than a dozen existing drugs or drugs under develop...

Prior COVID Infection May Shield You From Another for at Least 10 Months

• Robert Preidt
• June 4, 2021
• Full Page

In some good news for those who have already suffered through a bout of COVID-19, a new study finds they may have a much lower risk of reinfection for at least 10 months.

For the study, the researchers analyzed rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections between October 2020 and Febr...

NIH Starts Trial Assessing 'Mix & Match' COVID Vaccine Approach

• Robert Preidt
• June 2, 2021
• Full Page

Moderna plus Pfizer? J&J plus Moderna? There's a new clinical trial underway to assess the safety and effectiveness of mixing different types of booster shots in adults who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

"Although the vaccines currently authorized by the ...

U.S. Blood Supply Is Safe From Coronavirus, Study Finds

• Robert Preidt
• June 1, 2021
• Full Page

COVID-19 does not pose a threat to the safety of the United States' blood supply under existing donor screening guidelines, researchers report.

For the study, the investigators reviewed the results of tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in nearly 18,000 pools of donated...

Testosterone Might Influence COVID Severity in Men

• Robert Preidt
• May 26, 2021
• Full Page

Low testosterone levels may increase men's risk of severe COVID-19, according to a new study.

On average, men fare worse with COVID-19 than women.

"During the pandemic, there has been a prevailing notion that testosterone is bad. But we found the opposite in men," ...

Are Some Foods Super Bitter to You? You Might Have Lower COVID Risk

• Denise Mann
• May 25, 2021
• Full Page

If you can't stand broccoli, celery or kale, you may be a supertaster, and it just might protect you from COVID-19.

Supertasters are folks who are highly sensitive to bitterness. They're not only less likely to get COVID-19 than people who aren't so sensitive to sharp, p...

In 10 Years, COVID-19 Could Be 'Just the Sniffles'

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 25, 2021
• Full Page

The virus fueling the COVID-19 pandemic could become just an ordinary sniffle-causing nuisance within the next 10 years, a new study suggests.

Researchers stressed that the projection is based on mathematical models, and not a crystal-ball prediction.

But, they say...

'Brain Fog' Can Linger With Long-Haul COVID

• Cara Murez
• May 24, 2021
• Full Page

MONDAY, May 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) - As researchers work to learn more about COVID-19 and so-called long-haulers, a new study suggests "brain fog" can persist and even worsen for those who were infected months before.

Long-haulers continue to have symptoms long after ...

In Newly Discovered Case, a Coronavirus Has Jumped From Dog to Human

• Robert Preidt
• May 20, 2021
• Full Page

A new coronavirus that appears to have jumped from a dog to a child has been discovered from a case three years ago, but it's unclear what threat it may pose.

This new canine-like coronavirus was found in a child in Malaysia in 2018. If it is confirmed as a human pathoge...